If you have decided to leave your current job, it is usual to provide your employer with a two-week notice. The two week notice is a formal way to resign from your position and a proffesional way to quit. Find below answers to the most common questions related to the subject and discover the examples we provide.
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If you have decided to leave your current job, it is usual to provide your employer with a two-week notice. Two weeks is the standard amount of time am employee offers to continue working for the current employer before leaving the company. If you have an employment contract, check it out and abide by it.
So the timeline is pretty simple and basic: the employee declares that his resignation goes into effect at the end of the second week after he gives notice. At the deadline of the two-week work period, the employee is no longer an employee of the company.
Quitting is a big decision for everyone. So before you engage in submitting the two-week notice, make sure you have reflected on some questions (and you have come up with answers, too).
The employer needs enough time to make a plan for your absence: he will either start looking for a replacement or will assign all your tasks to other employees within the department.
The two-week notice letter is not beneficial only for the employer, but also for the employee preparing for departure: by writing a formal, concise and considerate letter, you will maintain an image of professionalism and you will leave the organization on a positive note. Your manager, colleagues and HR department will appreciate it if you provide an exact date for your departure.
When preparing your letter of resignation, consider including the following details:
There are cases of companies who do not require this notice and even prefer it if the departing employee leaves the premises as soon as possible. A concern may be that if the resigning employee stays the two-week period, he has a lot of time to gossip around the workplace and bad mouth the organization.
Therefore, we can detect 3 practices on how employers handle resignations:
In all these 3 cases, the usual practice is to pay the employee for those 2 weeks, since they offered to stay and you, as the employer, turned down that proposal.
However, the majority of employers will appreciate your remaining at your job for 2 weeks, to be able to help with the transition.
When referring to a management position, the recommendation is that managers provide a two to four weeks’ notice. So the classic two-weeks is the minimum in this case.
High management positions are harder to fill, therefore the resigning manager should consider staying one month after announcing his resignation.
Writing the two-weeks notice letter may be a slightly difficult task, but our tips and template will be helpful. Don’t forget that while the standard notice is this period of 2 weeks, you always have to check your company policies before starting the process of departure.
The best course of action is to deliver the letter in person, to your direct supervisor, or generally, to upper management. If circumstances don’t allow it, you can use an email or a more classic way: mailed resignation letter. Either way, you should ensure the delivery is professional, to secure a positive reference.
You shouldn’t feel awkward about resigning from your job, because after all, it’s a very common situation. We want to help you out, so here is a very simple plan to follow, if you want to pass through this process smoothly.
A resignation email message may be acceptable in some cases, for some workers. But we always recommend trying to present a hard copy of the letter to your superior.
What’s the biggest difference between a resignation email and a resignation letter? The letterhead.
When writing a resignation email you only need to add your manager’s email and a concise subject line, usually: “Letter of resignation”, followed by your name.
A resignation email is useful and acceptable when:
Find below an example of such a two weeks notice of resignation email:
Email Subject Line: Resignation Letter - John Milles
Dear Mr./Ms. Ford,
I write to inform you that I am resigning from my position here as Senior Editor. My last day will be May 7.
Thank you so much for all the opportunities this company has offered me. I have learned so much these past two years. My colleagues were all great people.
Let me know if there is anything I can do to make this transition easier. You can always contact me at john.m@gmail.com or 555-555-5555.
Thank you again for your years of support and encouragement.
Sincerely yours,
Your Name
We offer you a free template of the two-week notice letter. But remember, it’s just an example (granted, a great one), feel free to adapt it to fit your personal status.
Writing a professional resignation letter is the thing to do if you work within an industry where your reputation is crucial for your future job or if you sense that you may come back in the company someday.
While you are demonstrating you respect your former employer, you also have the chance to show your gratitude for the opportunities provided by your managers.
Download the resignation letter due to family reasons in word format
Don’t forget to include in the resignation letter:
A professional letter is optimal for cases like: