A resignation letter should state that you are resigning, identify your position and give the last day of employment after you have checked the notice requirement. Deliver it to the appropriate employer contact and retain a copy. You can be clear and courteous without explaining every reason for leaving.
This guide covers the communication itself. If the departure involves a dispute, a proposed early end date or pressure to resign, get appropriate advice about your circumstances before using a routine template.
Check the date before writing the letter
Fair Work’s resignation guidance explains that notice requirements can come from an award, enterprise agreement or employment contract. It recommends giving notice in writing and identifying the final day. Do not copy another employee’s notice period simply because their role sounds similar.
Resolve whether the date you propose satisfies the applicable requirement or is a request for an agreed shorter period. A request to leave earlier should be identified as a request, rather than presented as if it has already been accepted.
Keep your resignation separate from an application for annual leave or a question about final pay. They may need to be coordinated, but one message should not accidentally imply approval of all three.
A complete fictional resignation letter
The following is an original fictional example. The person, employer contact and dates are invented. The final date illustrates letter structure and is not a calculation of a real notice entitlement.
Dear Manager,
Please accept this letter as written notice of my resignation from the Administration Assistant position. My final day of employment will be Friday 27 November 2026, based on the notice period we have confirmed.
Thank you for the opportunities to develop my administrative and customer-service experience with the team.
During the notice period, I will prepare an agreed handover of current enquiries, recurring tasks and outstanding approvals. Please let me know who should receive the handover and the arrangements for returning workplace property.
Please acknowledge receipt of this notice and confirm the final employment date in your records. I would also appreciate information about the final-pay and property-return processes.
Kind regards,
Alex Example
Use a true final date and responsibilities you can actually complete. If you prefer a neutral letter, the paragraph thanking the employer can be shorter; the resignation and date should remain unmistakable.
If you are requesting an earlier finish
State the applicable position and your request separately. A fictional addition could say: “I understand the required notice would take my employment to the stated date. I would like to discuss an agreed earlier finish, if that can be arranged.”
Do not replace the confirmed final date in your records until the outcome is clear. The employment and pay consequences of an early finish depend on how it occurs and the applicable rules.
Send and acknowledge the notice
Use the appropriate manager or HR channel and check that the letter reaches a recipient who can act on it. Keep the sent copy and any acknowledgement. An employer cannot choose to reject a resignation, but a clear record helps resolve practical questions about when notice was given.
Avoid adding accusations, confidential customer information or another employer’s private offer. A formal complaint can be raised through the relevant process without turning the basic resignation notice into an unclear mixture of documents.
Prepare the handover separately
List current work, deadlines, document locations and responsible contacts. Return equipment and access items through the agreed process, retaining a receipt where appropriate. Keep personal employment records you may legitimately need without taking the business’s confidential material.
Our career-change guide covers the wider decision. The resignation letter’s job is narrower: communicate a clear departure and an accurately checked date.
