Leaving your job
Resignation letter with notice period
A resignation email is a formal record. It sets the date your notice period starts, confirms your last working day and starts the exit process — handover, clearance, full and final settlement, and your relieving and experience letters. A short, neutral letter does all of this better than a long explanation.
The formats below cover the common Indian situations: serving the full notice period, requesting a shorter notice, resigning during probation, and resigning for higher studies or personal reasons. Each one states your notice period and last working day clearly, because that is the detail HR will act on.
When to send it
- Tell your reporting manager in a one-to-one conversation before sending the email; hearing it first by email can sour the rest of your notice period.
- Resign only after you have a written offer letter, not a verbal offer or a promise that one is coming.
- Check your appointment letter for the notice period, and whether it is different during probation.
- If your company also requires resignation on the HR portal, do both, and keep a copy of the email.
- Work out your last working day according to your policy, state it in the email and ask HR to confirm it.
Templates
1Standard resignation with full notice period
2Resignation requesting a shorter notice period
3Resignation during probation
4Resignation for higher studies
5Resignation for personal or family reasons
6Short resignation email after speaking to your manager
Do
- Speak to your manager before sending the email.
- State your resignation date, notice period and last working day.
- Address it to your reporting manager and CC HR, or follow your company's process.
- Offer a handover and follow through on it.
- Ask HR to confirm your last working day, relieving letter and experience letter in writing.
Don't
- Do not list complaints about your manager, team or company.
- Do not resign before you have a written offer letter in hand.
- Do not mention your new salary or try to start a counter-offer discussion in the letter.
- Do not stop working properly during your notice period.
- Do not leave without completing clearance; it can delay your relieving letter and settlement.
Frequently asked questions
When does the notice period start after I resign?
Usually from the date you submit your resignation, though some companies count from the date it is accepted or recorded on the HR portal. Your appointment letter or HR policy will say which. State the last working day you have calculated in your email and ask HR to confirm it in writing, so there is no confusion when you are relieved.
Do I have to give a reason in my resignation letter?
No. A line such as 'I have decided to move on to a new opportunity' is enough. Your manager may ask in person, and you can share as much as you are comfortable with. Avoid listing complaints in the letter, as it becomes part of your employee record. Use the exit interview if you want to give constructive feedback.
What if my manager does not accept my resignation?
Your manager can ask you to reconsider, and your employer can require you to serve the notice period in your contract and complete a handover. If your resignation is not being acknowledged, follow up in writing with HR in CC, submit it on the HR portal if there is one and keep copies of every email. For a genuine dispute, take advice from an employment lawyer.
What is the notice period during probation?
It is often shorter than for confirmed employees, but it depends entirely on your appointment letter or HR policy. Some companies apply the same short notice to both sides during probation, while others keep a longer period. Read the probation clause before resigning, quote that period in your email and ask HR to confirm your last working day.
Should I ask for a relieving letter in my resignation email?
Yes, one line asking HR to share the exit process and confirm that your relieving letter and experience letter will be issued is useful. These documents are often needed for background verification at your next company, along with your final payslips and full and final settlement statement. Keep personal copies of all of them.