Do I have to give two weeks notice?

In most US jobs it is a custom, not a law: employment is usually “at will”. Your contract, a union agreement or the law of another country can require more. Check your contract before you write the date.

When does the two weeks start?

From the day your manager receives the letter. Count fourteen calendar days, or ten working days if your company counts that way, and write the last day as a date.

Should I tell my manager before I send the letter?

Yes, if you can. Tell them in a short conversation or a call, then send the letter the same day so the date is on record.

Home / Resignation letters / Two weeks notice letter

Two weeks notice letter: template and example

The usual way to resign from a job in the United States: you tell your manager in writing that you are leaving, and your last day is two weeks later. Copy the letter below, replace the parts in [brackets], and send it to your manager.

Dear [Manager’s name],

Please accept this letter as my formal notice of resignation from my position as [job title] at [company]. My last working day will be [date, two weeks from today].

Thank you for the support and the chances to grow that I have had here, especially [one concrete thing: a project, a skill, a person].

Over the next two weeks I will finish [current work] and write handover notes for [colleague or team]. Please let me know what else would help.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

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What to put in a two weeks notice letter

The words “formal notice of resignation”, your job title and the company.
Your last working day as a date, not “in two weeks”.
One or two sentences of thanks. Leave out complaints: the letter stays in your file.
What you will finish or hand over before you go.

Notice periods depend on your contract and on the law where you work. This page is general guidance, not legal advice.

Questions about a two weeks notice letter

Do I have to give two weeks notice?: In most US jobs it is a custom, not a law: employment is usually “at will”. Your contract, a union agreement or the law of another country can require more. Check your contract before you write the date.
When does the two weeks start?: From the day your manager receives the letter. Count fourteen calendar days, or ten working days if your company counts that way, and write the last day as a date.
Should I tell my manager before I send the letter?: Yes, if you can. Tell them in a short conversation or a call, then send the letter the same day so the date is on record.

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Two weeks notice letter: template and example

What to put in a two weeks notice letter

Questions about a two weeks notice letter

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