How to write a resignation email (with examples)

Resignation email template

This version suits most situations, including when you've already told your manager in person. Change the bracketed parts before you send it.

The request to confirm receipt is optional, but a reply gives you a written record that your notice arrived.

What to put in the subject line

Keep the subject line plain enough that anyone can tell what the email is from the inbox. "Resignation, [your full name]" works well because it's easy for your manager to find again and easy for HR to file. You could add the date if you'd like the key detail visible at a glance, for example "Resignation, [your full name], last day [date]".

A vague subject such as "Quick update" or "Following up" can mean the email sits unread, and it's harder to locate later if someone needs to check when you gave notice.

Who to send it to

Send the email to the person you report to. If your workplace has an HR or payroll team, you can copy them in so the people who process your final pay have the date from the start.

Before you send it, check your employment contract or any workplace policy on resigning. Some say notice should be given in writing to a particular role, such as your manager or the HR department, and following that process avoids any question about whether your notice was properly given.

Keep the list of recipients short. A resignation email doesn't need to go to your team or to anyone outside the reporting line, and it's usually better for your manager to decide how and when the team hears the news. Emails are also easy to forward, so it helps to write this one as though other people in the business could eventually read it.

Should the email be the letter, or attach one?

For most workplaces, the email itself is enough. The Fair Work Ombudsman says an employee can give notice verbally or in writing, and that writing is best practice, including the last day of employment. An email meets that description and records the date and time it was sent.

Attaching a signed letter as a PDF makes sense if your contract asks for a signed letter, if HR has told you it needs one for the personnel file, or if your employer uses a formal process for resignations. When you do attach one, keep the key facts in the body of the email as well. That way the email still states that you're resigning and when you finish, even if the attachment isn't opened until later.

When to send it

If you can, tell your manager first, in person or on a call, and send the email straight afterwards. The conversation lets you explain in your own words, and the email then confirms something they already know.

The day you send the email also affects your notice. Our guide to the notice period when resigning explains where yours comes from; in short, it starts the day after you give notice and ends on your last day of employment. So if you need to give two weeks' notice and want to finish on a particular date, work backwards from that date before you choose the day to send.

Timing matters more when the dates are tight. An email sent late on a Friday night will be in your manager's inbox, but they may not read it until Monday, and a disagreement about when notice was given is easier to avoid than to settle. If the date is close, send the email during working hours and ask your manager to confirm they've received it. Naming the exact last day in the email helps too, because nobody then needs to count the days to work out when you finish.

The Fair Work Ombudsman says an employer can't accept or reject an employee's resignation, though it's best practice for them to acknowledge it, so asking for a reply is simply a way of getting that acknowledgement in writing. Your employer may still decide they don't need you to work the full notice period. In that case the two of you can agree on an earlier finish, or the employer can end the employment and pay out the notice.

Resignation email examples for common situations

Each of these keeps the two essential lines, resigning and the last day, and changes only what surrounds them.

After you've told your manager in person

Use this one when you've already had the conversation and want the written record to follow.

When you can't speak to your manager first

If your manager is on leave, works in another time zone or is otherwise hard to reach, an email on its own is still a valid way to resign. Copying in HR or your manager's own manager means someone who can act on it receives the notice promptly.

Attaching a formal resignation letter

Use this when your employer needs a signed letter. The body still repeats the essentials.

Confirming an earlier finish you've agreed

If you and your manager agree on a different last day after you've resigned, it's worth putting the new date in writing so payroll works from the right one.

What to leave out

A resignation email works best when it's short. Reasons for leaving, complaints about the job and details of your next role are all optional, and an email can be forwarded in seconds to people you didn't intend to read it. If you do have a complaint that needs raising, an exit interview or a formal complaint gives it a proper hearing.

It's also best to keep the finish date exact. "Around the end of the month" or "in a few weeks" leaves room for your manager and payroll to read the date differently, and fixing that later can affect your final pay.

After you send it

Keep a copy of your email and any reply. Your access to your work account usually ends on your last day, so you could save the resignation email and the acknowledgement as a PDF, or forward just those messages to a personal address if your workplace policy allows it. Leave other work files where they are, because contracts often include confidentiality obligations that continue after you leave.

If you haven't had a reply within a day or two, a short follow-up asking your manager to confirm they received your resignation and your last day is reasonable. After that, let your manager tell the team before you do. Our guide to resigning without burning bridges covers the handover and the weeks that follow. Wait until closer to your last day to send any farewell messages.

When your final pay arrives, check it against the date you gave. The resignation letter guide explains how your last day affects annual leave payouts and long service leave, and the Fair Work Ombudsman can help if something doesn't match what you're owed.

This article is general information, not legal advice. If your situation is complicated, it's worth getting advice before you send your resignation.