Use this guide once you have decided to leave, ideally after you have a new job offer in writing. Have your contract, holiday record and the date you want to leave ready.
Step by step
Check your notice and terms
Read your contract for your notice period and any other terms, such as restrictions on working for competitors or rules about garden leave. If you have no written notice period, the legal minimum is one week once you have worked for a month. Work out your last day.
Confirm your new job first
If you are leaving for another job, get the offer in writing and make sure any conditions, such as references or checks, are cleared before resigning. Agree a start date that fits your notice. Do not resign on the strength of a verbal offer alone.
Write your resignation letter
Keep it short and polite: state that you are resigning, your job title, the date of the letter and your intended last day. Thank your employer if you wish, but you do not need to give reasons. Keep a copy.
Tell your manager
Ask for a private conversation and tell your manager before others hear. Hand over or email your letter and ask them to confirm receipt. If they make a counter-offer, take time to think it over.
Sort holiday and final pay
Ask how any untaken holiday will be handled; it may be paid or you may be asked to take it during your notice. Check your final payslip includes all pay owed. You should receive a P45 after you leave.
Hand over well
Write a handover note of your tasks, contacts and where files are kept. Return company property and remove personal files from work devices. Ask for a reference and stay professional to the end.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Notice period checked in contract
- New job offer confirmed in writing
- Last day worked out
- Resignation letter written and copied
- Manager told in person
- Receipt of resignation confirmed
- Holiday and final pay agreed
- Handover note completed
Practical tips
- Check your pension, share scheme or benefits for anything you need to act on when you leave.
- Keep your resignation letter neutral; it may be kept on file and read by others later.
- Save personal contacts and your own payslips before you lose access to work systems.
Common problems
Your employer wants you to leave straight away.
Check your contract for payment in lieu of notice or garden leave terms. You should normally still be paid for your notice period; get advice from Acas if you are not.
You want to leave earlier than your notice period.
Ask your employer whether they will agree to an earlier date and get their agreement in writing. Leaving without agreement could be a breach of contract.
You are resigning because of how you have been treated.
Get advice from Acas or Citizens Advice before you resign, as this can affect any claim you might make. Keep records of what has happened and consider raising a grievance first.
This guide gives general information, not personal legal, financial or medical advice. Rules and prices change, so check the current position with the official service before acting.
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