Resigning and notice periods
Work out your last day, check what the law where you live requires, and send a short letter that keeps your reference intact.
Resigning and notice periods at a glance
Updated November 15, 2026
Resigning and notice periods are covered by 7 guides and 4 tools below. Handing in notice is full of small traps. Calendar days or working days? Does the day you resign count? What does the law say, and does your contract say more? The calculator does the date math; the guides do the rules.
Three sentences make a resignation letter: you're resigning, this is your last day, thank you. The examples show the wording. The last-working-day guide helps you pick a date where notice, final paycheck and benefits all line up.
Tools
Resignation Letter Generator
A resignation letter template that fills itself in. Add your name, company and last day, pick a type and tone, then copy the letter. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Notice Period Calculator
How much notice do I need to give, and when's my last day? Enter the day you resign and see the exact date you finish.
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AI Email Writer
Get a professional email drafted in seconds, from a recruiter follow-up to a thank-you note or a request to a professor. Pick a tone and a length, then edit the draft.
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Word Counter
Get a live word and character count as you type, plus sentences, paragraphs and reading time. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.
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How to Write a Resignation Letter (With 3 Templates)
Five lines will do: today's date, your job title, your last day, one line of thanks and an offer to hand over. Work out the last day first and leave your reasons out. Email it after you've told your manager. Three templates follow.
8 min read
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Two Weeks' Notice Letter Examples and a Handover Checklist
Four letters you can copy: short, formal, one with a reason, and one for a shift job. Along the way you'll pin down your exact last working day and see what to do if it falls on a weekend or holiday. Then there's a handover plan for the ten working days that follow.
7 min read
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How to Find Your Last Working Day After Handing In Notice
Your notice period starts the day after you resign. Give four weeks' notice on Thursday, October 1, 2026 and your last working day is Thursday, October 29. A month's notice runs to Sunday, November 1, which makes Friday, October 30 your last day at work.
8 min read
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Notice Periods in the US, UK, Canada and Australia
When you quit, notice period law asks little: none under US or Canadian federal law, one week in the UK, and in Australia whatever your award or contract says. Employers who let you go owe more. Here's each country's rule, with real numbers, and how to find the date your contract sets.
8 min read
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UK Notice Periods: Legal Minimums, Contracts and PILON
UK notice periods run both ways. Once you have worked a month you owe at least one week when you resign, and an employer owes one week per full year of service, up to 12 weeks. A longer contract period, such as one or three months, is the one you work to. Below are the rules and worked dates.
8 min read
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Canada Notice Periods by Province: Quitting and Being Let Go
Canada notice periods depend on who regulates your job. The Canada Labour Code covers federal industries, and every other job follows its province. Only Alberta makes most people who quit give notice. Employers owe from 1 week up to 8 weeks, depending on your years of service.
7 min read
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Australia Notice Periods: The NES Table and Your Award
Australia notice periods come from the National Employment Standards when your employer ends the job: 1 to 4 weeks by service, plus a week if you are over 45 with 2 years. When you resign, your award sets the notice, and most awards use the same table without the extra week.
7 min read
Next step
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The generator's own numbers, from a run on November 6, 2026. A standard letter with the default boxes came to 137 words. Warm tone with a reason and the reference box ticked, 177. Brief tone, 84, and 59 with both boxes unticked, which is about as short as a resignation letter gets: an opening, a last day, a closing line. The email version drops the address block and adds a subject line.
Three things I check before picking a date. What the contract or staff handbook asks for, since it can want more than the law does. Which day the notice actually ends, counted from the day after I hand it in. And whether my manager has agreed to a shorter date. If so, the agreed date goes in the letter and the negotiation stays out of it.
Common questions
How much notice do I have to give?
US: usually none by law, with two weeks the custom. UK: one week once you've been there a month, unless the contract says more. Canada and Australia: it depends on the province or award, and on your length of service. The tables are in the country guide.
Does the day I resign count as part of the notice?
Usually not. Notice runs from the day after you give it, unless your contract says otherwise. There's a checkbox in the calculator for contracts that count the day itself.
Can I resign by email?
Yes, in all four countries, and the email gives you a dated record. Tell your manager face to face or on a call first if you can. Then send the email that same day.
What if I leave without working my notice?
In the US you may owe nothing by law. In the UK, Canada and Australia you could be in breach of contract. Either way the reference is at risk, and sometimes accrued leave pay too. Need to go early? Ask. Many employers agree to shorter notice.