PeopleMuster

Resignation acceptance letter

Resignation acceptance letters answer a resignation in writing. Short, gracious, and clear about the leaving date both sides have agreed.

Heading
[COMPANY NAME]
Date: [DATE]
To: [EMPLOYEE NAME], [JOB TITLE]
Employee ID: [EMPLOYEE ID]
Subject: Acceptance of your resignation

Acceptance
Dear [EMPLOYEE FIRST NAME],
Your resignation dated [RESIGNATION DATE] is accepted.
Notice period per contract: [CONTRACTUAL NOTICE]
Agreed last working day: [AGREED LAST WORKING DAY]
Notice served: [FULL / SHORTENED BY AGREEMENT / BOUGHT OUT]

Between now and then
Handover document due: [HANDOVER DUE DATE]
Handover to: [HANDOVER RECIPIENT]
Leave during notice: [WHAT IS AND IS NOT ALLOWED]
Exit conversation: [EXIT INTERVIEW DATE], if you would like one

Closing
Your relieving letter and service certificate will follow after [AGREED LAST WORKING DAY].
Thank you for [ONE SPECIFIC THING THE PERSON CONTRIBUTED].
The door stays open.
[SENDER NAME]
[SENDER TITLE]

Before you send it

  • Confirm the last working day in writing, even when it was agreed in the room.
  • Say whether notice is being served in full, shortened or bought out.
  • Set the handover due date before the last day, with a few days of slack.
  • Name one thing the person did well. People remember the last letter longest.
  • Tell them what paperwork follows and roughly when.

Questions people ask about this letter

Does a resignation need to be accepted in writing?

Written acceptance is worth doing even where no rule demands it. The leaving date is the one fact everyone downstream needs, from payroll to the person taking over the work, and a verbal agreement leaves it open to memory.

Can the notice period be shortened?

Often, by agreement, and the letter should say so explicitly when it happens. Write down which arrangement applies, because a shortened notice that nobody recorded turns into an argument about the final pay.

Should the letter ask the person to reconsider?

Not in this document. If a counter-offer is on the table, have that conversation separately and send the acceptance once the answer is settled. Mixing the two makes the leaving date unclear to everyone.

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