Employee Resignation Letter

What is a resignation letter template in the UK?

A resignation letter is a formal notice sent by the employee informing their employer about the termination of the employment contract. This letter of resignation sample can be used by full-time and part-time employees or casual or zero-hours workers to notify others about the termination of employment relations in a compliant and professional way.

This resignation letter is being used as a formal notification and includes full information about the employee, the duration of the notice period and the last employment date.

When should you use this resignation letter template?

This template resignation letter sample can be used in various situations, including the following:

• leaving a job due to retirement;
• finding a new job;
• relocation to another country;
• change in personal circumstances such as getting married or having kids;
• unsafe working environment;
• lack of promotional opportunities, etc.

This letter can be used only by employees and workers with an employment status. For self-employed contractors, another letter template should be used instead. If the employer wishes to end the employment contract, in that case a termination of employment notice should be sent instead.

How much notice do you need to give in the UK?

In the UK a resignation letter with notice period can be of three types – statutory minimum notice provided in the law, a notice period provided in the employment contract, and a notice period defined in the collective agreement.

Statutory Minimum Notice Period

According to the Employment Rights Act 1996, the statutory minimum notice period for termination of an employment contract by the employee should not be less than 1 week. This rule shall apply only if the employee has already worked within the company for at least 1 month.

A statutory minimum cannot be compromised by a private employment arrangement between the employee and the employer.

Employment Contract

If the existing employment contract between the employee and the employer provides a specific notice period, then the employee must follow it. The average notice period in the UK for an employee can be between 14 and 30 days depending on the sector and position.

In this case a simple resignation letter template must comply with the notice period provided in the employment contract.

Collective Agreement

Not all employers in the UK are a part of collective agreements. However, if this is a case, an employee should also check the existing collective agreement regarding the notice period. In some cases, the collective agreement may provide a longer notice period for specific categories of employees compared to their ongoing employment contracts. If this is the case, the extended notice period in a collective agreement shall prevail.

What Should a UK Resignation Letter Include?

This sample letter of resignation has a standard and simple structure, including the following:

• Employee’s Details. A template for letter of resignation UK must include the employee’s full name, current role title, reference to the existing employment contract, and contact email or phone number.
• Notice of Resignation. The text of the letter should clearly outline the fact of resignation. If the employee wants, they can also add a reason for termination of employment. Finally, the last date of employment should also be outlined in the text of the letter.
• Leave Compensation. If the employee has unused days of sick leave, paid annual or other types of leave entitlements, the employee may request the following. First, to compensate for these days in full. Second, to ask to use these days before the last day of employment.
• Date & Signature. The employee must sign and date this letter of resignation sample. Once the letter is ready, it shall be sent to the line manager or to the employee’s immediate supervisor.

How to customise this resignation letter template with FasterDraft?

To get a fully customisable letter template, follow a few easy steps below:

1. Click the “Create Document” button.
2. Answer simple questions in the form.
3. Select a template’s format – a letter of resignation template UK PDF or Word.
4. E-sign the letter online.
5. Make a payment.

The document template is ready for instant download immediately after the purchase.