DocMuse is a private, paid service run by The Muse Technology EOOD (Bulgaria). It is not a government website and is not connected with GOV.UK, mygov.scot, nidirect, any courts and tribunals service or any other public body. It is not a law firm and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Law Society of Scotland, the Law Society of Northern Ireland or any other legal regulator, so no legal ombudsman or legal complaints body can consider complaints about it; its documents are not legal advice.
Resignation letter giving notice to your employer (Great Britain)
England, Scotland and Wales · in English · for employees
€2.00Fill it in online free — pay only to download
12 questions · about 5 min
Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
Fill in the form
Your answers stay on this device for 7 days, or until you clear them.
- Instant download after payment
- Backup link emailed to you
- No account needed
For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who is leaving their job: a letter that resigns, states the notice your contract requires (at least one week once you have worked a month, section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996) and the last day of employment, and asks for written confirmation, final pay including holiday earned and not taken, and your P45. Hand it to your manager and send it by email the same day, keeping a copy.
- Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- You have found a new job in England and want to hand in your notice in writing.
- Your manager is on holiday and you need to resign so that your notice period starts.
- Your employer says they will not accept your resignation and you want clear written notice.
- You want a resignation letter in Wales or Scotland that also asks for your holiday pay and leaving certificate.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- Town or city
- Employee's postcode
- Date
- Person at your employer you are writing to, as you would greet them (e.g. Priya Patel)
- Employer
- Employer's postal address (street and number, postcode and town on separate lines)
- Job title
- Notice the employee must give (e.g. one month's)
- Last day of your employment (when the notice ends)
- Anything else you want to add (optional)
Common questions
- How much notice must I give when I resign from a job in Great Britain?
- The notice your contract or written statement sets. If it sets none, the law asks for at least one week once you have worked for your employer for one month (section 86 of the Employment Rights Act 1996). Your employer can agree to a shorter period; ask for that in writing. Leaving without working your notice breaks the contract, so agree any earlier date before you go.
- Can my employer refuse to accept my resignation?
- In general, no: a clear resignation does not need the employer's agreement, and your notice starts to run once they have it. What the employer can do is hold you to your notice period, or, where the contract allows it or you agree, put you on garden leave or pay you in lieu of notice. Withdrawing a resignation later does need the employer's agreement.
- What should my final pay include when I leave a job, and what if it is not paid?
- Your wages up to your last day, any notice pay, payment for holiday you have earned and not taken (regulation 14 of the Working Time Regulations 1998) and anything else your contract promises, with an itemised payslip. You should also receive your P45. If the money does not arrive, write a letter before claim to the employer; the next step is Acas early conciliation, which is free and online, before an employment tribunal claim.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
Related documents
- Request to an employer for payslips, P45, P60 or written statement (Great Britain)
For a worker in England, Wales or Scotland whose employer, or former employer, has not given them their papers: one letter asking for any of missing payslips (section 8 of the Employment Rights Act 1996), a P60 for a tax year, the P45 after leaving, and the written statement of employment particulars (section 1). Fill in only the lines you need; the others drop out. It gives 14 days and names the next steps: a tribunal reference, and telling HMRC. Sent first class and by email.
- Maternity leave notice to your employer (Great Britain)
For a pregnant employee in England, Wales or Scotland: the written notice of your pregnancy, the expected week of childbirth, the date you want your maternity leave to start and the date for Statutory Maternity Pay, given by the end of the 15th week before the expected week, with your MAT B1 certificate enclosed or to follow. It asks your employer to confirm in writing, within 28 days, when your leave ends and what you will be paid. GOV.UK explains maternity pay and leave free. Hand it in and email it.
- Notice of unpaid parental leave (Great Britain)
For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland with parental responsibility (in Scotland, parental responsibilities) for a child under 18: a notice taking unpaid parental leave, giving the child, the dates and the number of weeks. The default rules allow 18 weeks for each child, up to four weeks a year, in whole weeks, with at least 21 days' notice; since 6 April 2026 the right starts on your first day. The employer can postpone the leave for up to six months, but not refuse it. Hand it in and email it.
- Notice to take carer's leave (Great Britain)
For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who looks after a family member or someone who relies on them with a long-term care need: a notice taking carer's leave under the Carer's Leave Act 2023 — up to one week in any 12 months, from your first day in the job, in half days, days or a whole week. It gives the dates and who the care is for, by relationship only. The employer may postpone, but not refuse, the leave, and cannot require evidence. The law does not insist on writing, but a written notice is your proof. Hand it in and email it, keeping a copy.
- Paternity leave notice to your employer (Great Britain)
For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who is the child's father, or the mother's spouse, civil partner or partner: a notice of paternity leave — one week, two weeks together or two separate weeks, within a year of the birth — giving the expected week of childbirth, the dates and the declaration that you will share responsibility for the child's upbringing. Since 6 April 2026 the leave is a right from your first day; the pay still needs 26 weeks' service. Hand it in and email it.
- Annual leave request to your employer (Great Britain)
For a worker in England, Wales or Scotland who wants to book paid holiday: a dated written request giving the first and last day and the number of working days, asking for written approval. Unless your contract or holiday rules say otherwise, the Working Time Regulations 1998 ask for notice of twice the length of the leave, and let the employer refuse only by counter-notice as long as the leave. Acas explains the rules free. Send it by email or hand it in, keeping a copy.