Best Short Notice Resignation Letter Example (+ Free Template) [2022]

A short notice resignation letter is a formal resignation letter written on behalf of an employee to an employer informing them of an impending resignation that has a short notice period. This notice period is usually less than a two-week timeframe. And can be as short as a few business days.

For an employer, a short notice resignation is not ideal. It provides the employer with less opportunity to train or find a new replacement for the resigning employee. This abrupt departure can leave an employer on negative terms with the resigning employee as it provides little to no transition period for the employer to change roles and responsibilities.

Related: Notice Period

The employee often forfeits some usual transition process benefits as part of the short notice. For example, an exit interview isn’t normally performed by the employer. And a smaller final paycheck will be expected if the employee is unable to complete a full two-week pay period.

Tip: If the employee holds an employment contract, for example, as an executive staff member, the transition period may be part of the contract. Executive staff members may not have the opportunity to leave on short notice.

Resigning on Short Notice

When resigning from a job on short notice with an employer, the first step is to speak with a supervisor, manager, or boss regarding the resignation. Have a conversation with them regarding the need to resign from the position quickly. It’s important to provide some level of detail to the current employer on the reason for resigning. Some good reasons include:

Personal reasons or personal circumstances like health or finance emergencies.
Family issues or spousal issues.
Immediate need to relocate.
A new job that is not offering two weeks transition period.

Once speaking with the manager about the need to resign quickly (determining the last day of employment or final day), creating a formal notification by writing a written notice (or resignation letter) is required. This letter will be submitted to the human resources department and manager.

Tip: As an employee, it’s best to try to resign from your current job with as much notice as possible. This may leave it difficult to have a “good terms” relationship with your employer once resigning.

After the notice has been submitted, it’s important that the employee speaks with each colleague and informs them of the impending short notice resignation. It’s helpful to provide each colleague with an apology for the shorter notice period and inform them of the difficulty this will cause.

On the last working day, it’s best to write a short farewell email to each colleague and the manager or supervisor, thanking them for the opportunity and once again apologizing for the inconvenience the short notice has caused.

A resignation letter should be written in the event of short notice and sent using a resignation email. Even though there may only be a few business days left of employment, it’s best that as an employee, time is spent writing a professional and good resignation letter with a healthy amount of respect for the job and the company.

Resignation Letter Format

Keep the resignation letter format professional. Use formal letter writing style and business letter format for the document. Keep all communication polite, sincere, and apologetic for the formal notice being stressful on the company. Recognize that “quitting” so abruptly will cause stress to colleagues, teammates, and potentially the company goals. A professional resignation letter should be a formal letter with proper grammar, punctuation, and professional language.

Short Notice Sample Resignation Letter

Below is a resignation letter sample when resigning on short notice.

Richard Smith
[email protected]
Product Designer

May 25th, 2019

John Hendricks
VP of Product
Apple, Inc.
[email protected]

Dear John —

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation. I sincerely apologize for the short notice resignation and realize this will cause some distress to my team and the company. If this were not necessary, I would not be resigning in this fashion as a sign of respect for the job and company.

As discussed, my final day of employment will be on June 1st, 2019.

Thank you so much for this opportunity.
Richard

Short Notice Resignation Letter Template

Below is a resignation template when resigning on short notice.

[Your Name]
[Your Email]
[Your Job Title]

[Current Date]

[Manager’s Name]
[Manager’s Job Title]
[Company Name]
[Manager’s Email]

Dear [Manager’s Name] —

Please accept this letter as my formal resignation. I sincerely apologize for the short notice resignation and realize this will cause some distress to my team and the company. If this were not necessary, I would not be resigning in this fashion as a sign of respect for the job and company.

As discussed, my final day of employment will be on [Employment End Date].

Thank you so much for this opportunity.
[Your Name]

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About the author

Patrick Algrim is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), and general career expert. Patrick has completed the NACE Coaching Certification Program (CCP). And has been published as a career expert on Forbes, Glassdoor, American Express, Reader's Digest, LiveCareer, Zety, Yahoo, Recruiter.com, SparkHire, SHRM.org, Process.st, FairyGodBoss, HRCI.org, St. Edwards University, NC State University, IBTimes.com, Thrive Global, TMCnet.com, Work It Daily, Workology, Career Guide, MyPerfectResume, College Career Life, The HR Digest, WorkWise, Career Cast, Elite Staffing, Women in HR, All About Careers, Upstart HR, The Street, Monster, The Ladders, Introvert Whisperer, and many more. Find him on LinkedIn.

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