Resigning from a job in writing

Tell your manager first, then put your resignation and your exact last day in writing, and keep the letter short.

Resigning in writing. A short resignation letter has four parts: the date, one sentence saying you resign with your last day as a full date, a specific thank-you and an offer to hand over your work. Notice rules differ: a US job without a written contract is generally at will, Alberta requires written notice of 1 or 2 weeks after the first 90 days, British Columbia requires none, and Québec requires notice in reasonable time. — **Fig. 3.12** A short resignation letter has four parts: the date, one sentence saying you resign with your last day as a full date, a specific thank-you and an offer to hand over your work. Notice rules differ: a US job without a written contract is generally at will, Alberta requires written notice of 1 or 2 weeks after the first 90 days, British Columbia requires none, and Québec requires notice in reasonable time. Source: UMD Engineering Career Services; BLS Monthly Labor Review; Alberta, BC and Québec employment law.

Area: PeopleFrom age 15Time to learn: 20 minutes

Tell your manager in person, then hand over or email a short, dated letter that says you are resigning, gives your last day as a full date, thanks them and offers to hand over your work.

Why it matters

A dated letter is the record of when you resigned and when your job ends, and your notice and final pay are counted from those dates. The rules differ by country and province. In the US, a job without a written contract is generally "at will": you can quit at any time, and your employer can end the job for any reason the law does not forbid, such as discrimination. The usual advice is at least two weeks' notice. In Alberta, the law requires written notice: 1 week once you have worked there more than 90 days, and 2 weeks after 2 years.

About 3.1 million US workers quit their jobs in August 2026 alone.

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, August 2026 (released September 29, 2026), 2026.Measured

How to do it

Check your offer letter, contract, union agreement or employee handbook for a notice period, and follow it. If your job is tied to a contract, a scholarship or tuition payback, check those terms before you resign.
In the US, a job without a written contract is generally "at will": you can quit at any time, and your employer can end the job for any reason the law does not forbid, such as discrimination. The usual advice is at least two weeks' notice, and longer if you can.
In Canada, the rules depend on the province. Alberta requires written notice for most jobs: 1 week if you have worked there more than 90 days but less than 2 years, and 2 weeks after 2 years. British Columbia does not require notice. In Québec, for a job with no end date, the Civil Code requires notice "in reasonable time". Elsewhere, check your province's employment standards office.
Pick your last day by counting forward from the day you will hand in the letter. Write it as a full date, such as Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Tell your manager first, in a short private meeting, or a call if you work remotely, before you tell any coworkers. Say it plainly: "I've decided to resign. My last day will be Thursday, November 5."
Write the letter in four parts: the date; one sentence saying you are resigning from your job title, with your last day; one specific thank-you; and an offer to finish or hand over your work. Close with "Sincerely" and your full name.
Leave out complaints and emotional language. If you are asked why you are leaving, you can say you prefer not to discuss it, or that the job no longer fits your goals.
Send the letter the same day, by email or as a signed printed copy addressed to your manager, and keep a copy that shows the date. Alberta, for example, accepts written notice given in person or sent electronically.
Be ready to leave that day. Some employers end the job as soon as you resign. In British Columbia, an employer that ends it early must pay for the rest of your notice, or what it would owe if it had fired you, whichever is less.
Before your last day, finish or write up your work, return keys and equipment, ask for a reference, and ask when your final pay, including any vacation pay, will arrive. In BC, it is due within 6 days after your last day. In Alberta, the employer can choose to pay it within 10 days after the end of the pay period in which you left, or within 31 days after your last day.

Common mistakes

Telling coworkers, or posting online, before your manager hears it from you.
Writing only "two weeks from today" with no date, which leaves your last day open to argument.
Using the letter to list complaints. Keep it to the resignation, the thanks and the handover.
Giving less notice than your contract or your province requires, such as quitting in Alberta with no written notice after more than 90 days on the job.
Quitting with no new job lined up before checking the cost. Career offices advise securing the new job first, and in Canada, quitting may affect your eligibility for federal government benefits.

You can do this when …you can write, in under 15 minutes, a letter with the date, a resignation sentence with your last day as a full date, one specific thank-you and a handover offer, and can say what notice your contract and the law where you work ask for.