How to Give Two Weeks' Notice (+ Letter Template)

A two weeks' notice letter is a specific type of resignation letter from an employee that sets their employment end date two weeks from the receipt of the resignation. The employee requests that their end of employment be no longer than two weeks from the current date. Upon receipt of the resignation letter, the employer should begin the transition period with the employee.

Providing a notice period of adequate notice to the employer is essential. Anything less than a “2 weeks notice” or 14 days from the date of the notice would be considered insufficient advance notice to pay respect to your employer (boss and manager). When an employee signs an employment contract with a new job and company, the new employer often offers two weeks to separate from their previous company and transition to another. A two weeks notice period considered standard practice when ending an employment relationship.

Tip: Resigning from your current job with grace allows you to ask your former employer for a letter of recommendation. If you feel like you want to quit on the spot, remind yourself there’s a better way to resign that will advance your career.

Before Providing a Two Weeks' Notice

Before providing a verbal notice or written notice of resignation, review the company handbook or company policies. These documents can help to understand what might happen when providing two weeks' notice. For example, if the company handbook describes the employee as an "at-will employee," there's potential the employer may ask the employee to leave immediately.

In academic or science positions, providing two weeks' notice may not be allowed. For example, a professor teaching in Illinois at a four-year university should follow the academic guidelines for separating employees. The University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana describes their process as including meeting with the "State Universities Retirement System (SURS). SURS will meet with the employee and discuss all of the employee’s options. Once the employee has talked with SURS and signed retirement papers, he/she will need to contact their department. The department will need a signed statement indicating the employee’s last day of work."

Before deciding to provide two weeks' notice, the employee should consider having their affairs in order. This consists of the following:

• Having another job offer accepted before submitting a two weeks' notice.
• Having a professional reason for resignation in mind if the employer asks.
• Deciding whether the employee would or would not be open to a counteroffer if the employer decides to ask them to stay.
• Having a firm end date of employment in mind.
• Having goals in mind for making the transition smooth for the employer (transferring job duties to another worker or colleague).

How to Give Two Weeks' Notice

As an employee, here is what you should expect from your current employer when you begin your formal resignation process:

• Meet with the supervisor or manager that the position reports to and inform them of the desire to resign from job duties and responsibilities. The employee should inform the manager that they can only provide them with two weeks to transition the job duties.
• The manager and the employee should determine the notice period (two weeks) objectives.
• The employee should write and submit their resignation with proper notice (two weeks notice), the company will begin the process of transitioning out of the job duties.
• The current employer will mark the employee’s requested end date.
• A person from the HR department or manager will perform an exit interview toward the end of the two weeks of employment. An exit interview will record the employee’s perspective on the role, job, and ways the company can perform better.
• The employee should write a goodbye letter to their colleagues, thanking them for the opportunity.
• The employee receives their final paycheck.

Tip: It’s imperative to leave on good terms with your current employer, even if, as a current employee, you’re disgruntled with your role, the culture, or other. Providing only one week of notice would be considered a poor way to exit the company and would put the company under pressure to find a replacement.

How to Write a Resignation Letter With Two Weeks Notice (Letter of Resignation)

Here's how to write a two weeks notice resignation letter. When writing a formal resignation letter and two weeks notice, here is what to consider putting into the formal letter:

• Use active voice writing style, with proper grammar, punctuation, and professional language.
• Use standard business letter format.
• Address your current company and manager in your greeting.
• Share a memorable experience with your coworker and now former employer.
• Thank your employer for the opportunity and extend the desire to keep a professional relationship as a former employee.
• Extend the opportunity to help transition out of the current position.
• Set your desired end date to two weeks from the receipt date of the letter.

Tip: It’s better to write a formal resignation letter as your notice than writing a resignation email. Your email should be to notify your manager and HR department of your resignation but include a letter as an attachment.

Giving Two Weeks' Notice by Phone or Face-to-Face Example

When meeting with a manager to provide a two weeks' notice, here's a script of what to say:

"Thank you for meeting with me today. I'd like first to say how much working here has been impactful for me. All the work we've been able to accomplish together has been impactful to me beyond explanation. Unfortunately, it's time for me to move on. I've decided that I would like to provide my two weeks' notice. The reason for my desire to resign is that I have found a new job opportunity with more upward mobility. My tenure year has been incredible, and if it were not due to there being no more opportunity for me to receive promotions, I would stay here. This opportunity will expose me to plenty of new learning and experiences that I'm scared but thrilled about. I've come prepared for this meeting with a few ideas on how to assist with the transition. I have an outline of my current projects and current job duties to assist with transferring my responsibilities to another colleague or a new employee."

Two Weeks' Notice Sample Resignation Letter

January 1, 2019

John Smith
[email protected]
888-888-8888
123 Road, St., New York NY 11121

Business, Inc.
Ryan Doe
[email protected]
HR Department
123 Business Road, New York NY 11121

Dear Mr/Mrs. Ryan —

This resignation letter informs you that I would like to resign from my position as a developer effective September 1, 2019. Working with you has been an absolute pleasure, and it will be a difficult transition, not being able to come into this environment and collaborate with such a wonderful team. I have learned invaluable skills that will surely propel me on my career path.

Please let me know how I can assist in this transition and ensure the company’s continued success.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be able to work with you.

Sincerely,
John Smith

Two Weeks' Notice Sample Resignation Letter Sample #2

January 1, 2019

John Smith
[email protected]
888-888-8888
123 Road, St., New York NY 11121

Business, Inc.
Ryan Doe
[email protected]
HR Department
123 Business Road, New York NY 11121

Dear Ryan —

This resignation letter informs you that I would like to resign from my position as Product Designer from Apple Inc, effective September 1, 2019, two weeks from today's date. I've had the most wonderful experiences working with this team, and it will be something that I will always cherish and remember. I have learned invaluable skills that will surely propel me on my career path.

My goal for the next two weeks is to assist in training and hiring a new replacement. I've begun to outline my job duties and responsibilities for my manager. Additionally, I have outlined the current projects that I'm working on and aim to complete them or transfer their ownership by the end of the two-week notice period. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be able to work with you.

Sincerely,
John Smith

Two Weeks' Notice Letter Template

[Current Date]

[Your Name]
[Your Email Address]
[Your Phone Number]
[Optional: Your Mailing Address]

[Business/Employers Name/Company Name]
[Manager's Name]
[Manager's Email Address]
[Optional: Business Address]

Dear [Manager's Name] —

This resignation letter informs you that I would like to resign from my position as [Job Title] effective [End of Employment Date]. Working with you has been an absolute pleasure, and it will be a difficult transition, not being able to come into this environment and collaborate with such a wonderful team. I have learned invaluable skills that will surely propel me on my career path.

Please let me know how I can assist in this transition and ensure the company’s continued success.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to be able to work with you.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Two Weeks Notice Email Subject Line

Here are a few examples of email subject lines you can use when sending your two weeks notice:

• Resignation of [Your Name] Effective [Agreed Upon End Date]
• [Your Name] Resignation Effective [Agreed Upon End Date]
• Resignation Effective [Agreed Upon End Date]
• Relieving [Your Name] of Duties on [Agreed Upon End Date]

Two Weeks' Notice Email

Below is a sample email sending a "two weeks notice" resignation letter.

Dear Brian —

Attached is my formal resignation letter, with the end employment date being two weeks from today, as agreed upon in our meeting on June 1st, 2019. I look forward to assisting with transferring the duties and responsibilities of my role to Josh.

My final day of employment will be June 14th, 2019.

Thank you so much for this opportunity,
Robert

Two Weeks' Notice Tips

Tips for employees providing their two weeks' notice.

Come prepared with ways to assist

It's best to provide ideas on ways to assist with the transition process. Great ideas include completing active projects during the final two weeks, providing a list of job duties and job responsibilities, and providing a manager with active projects and the project status.

By coming to the table with these pieces of information, the manager can better assist in the process of transferring job duties or active projects to a new hire or another team member.

Don't forget to request an end date

Many employees accidentally forget to include the desired end of employment date and indicate that the date is two weeks from the resignation letter submission date. By including the desired end date, with the date being two weeks from the current date, it indicates a desire to resign in "two weeks."

Place the desired end of employment or "final day" of employment in the body paragraph of the resignation letter and two weeks' notice.

Be polite and heartfelt

It may sound simple, but being heartfelt and sincere is encouraged. Providing the manager and company with the reason for resignation is considered good business etiquette. But being sincere is appreciated by the company and manager. Don't be overly heartfelt. The resignation letter should only be one-page. Any stories that extend the page length beyond one-page should be excluded.

Give full effort for the remaining two weeks of employment

Many employees make the mistake of "slacking off" for their final two weeks of employment. Instead, leave on a "good note" or "high note" with the employer by completing all work with the utmost effort. If there are active projects that are being worked on, be sure to put the most amount of effort into them and try to complete projects or make the team feel "proud" to have worked with each other.

Resignation Letters (Letter Samples)

Below are resignation letters and free templates.

By Job Title

• Teacher
• Nurse
• Chef
• Pastor
• Volunteer
• Retail
• Police Officer

By Format

• Simple Resignation Letter
• Formal Resignation Letter
• Heartfelt Resignation Letter

By Reason

• Retirement
• Maternity Leave
• Board Resignation
• Personal Reasons
• New Job
• Better Salary and Benefits
• Relocation
• Hostile Work Environment
• Unhappy with Management
• Unfair Treatment
• Health and Stress
• Going Back to School
• Voluntary Resignation Letter

By Time

• Immediate Resignation Letter
• Two Weeks Notice
• Short Notice Resignation Letter
• 24 Hours Notice
• Part-Time Job

Additional Resources

• How to Tell Your Boss You're Quitting
• What is a "Two Weeks Notice"
• Resignation Letter Format
• Resignation Email
• Goodbye Email to Coworkers
• How to Quit a Job
• Rescind Resignation Letter