Updated 11 May 2026
Two Weeks Notice Email Template: Subject Lines and 4 Body Variants
Four ready-to-send email bodies for the situations that come up most often when handing in notice: the standard professional exit, the difficult-manager case, the short-notice case, and the leaving-on-good-terms case where you want to leave the door open. Subject-line examples, CC norms, and send-time advice below.
Subject lines
The subject line should make the email findable months later in HR searches. Avoid ambiguous subjects ("Quick update", "Wanted to let you know") and avoid emotionally loaded ones ("I have to leave", "Bad news").
- Resignation: [Your Name] (clear and standard)
- Notice of Resignation: [Your Name], [Job Title] (more formal)
- Two Weeks Notice: [Your Name] (clearest intent)
- Resignation Effective [Last Day Date] (date-forward)
1. Standard professional exit
Use when: the relationship is fine, you have a new role lined up, you intend to give two weeks and work them.
To: [Manager Email]
Cc: [HR Email]
Subject: Resignation: [Your Name]
Hi [Manager Name],
Please accept this email as formal notice of my resignation from my position as [Your Job Title] at [Company Name]. My last day will be [Last Day Date], two weeks from today.
I appreciate the opportunities and the team during my time here. Over the next two weeks I am committed to a clean transition: documenting my current responsibilities, completing in-progress work where possible, and helping train my replacement if one is in place.
Please let me know how I can best support the team during this period.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
2. Difficult manager (cordial, formal, no extras)
Use when: the manager relationship is strained and you want a professional paper trail without giving them ammunition.
To: [Manager Email]
Cc: [HR Email]
Subject: Notice of Resignation: [Your Name], [Job Title]
Dear [Manager Name],
This email serves as my formal notice of resignation from my position as [Your Job Title] at [Company Name], effective [Last Day Date].
I will complete my open work through that date and provide handover documentation. Please direct any administrative questions to [HR Contact Name].
Regards,
[Your Name]
Keep it short. Do not add gratitude that is not real. Do not explain. Routing administrative questions to HR is a polite way to deflect any pressure from the manager to discuss the move.
3. Short notice (less than two weeks)
Use when: a family emergency, health situation, or a new role requires you to start sooner than two weeks. Be honest, be brief, do not over-share. See the immediate resignation page for context.
To: [Manager Email]
Cc: [HR Email]
Subject: Resignation Effective [Last Day Date]
Hi [Manager Name],
I am writing to give notice of my resignation from my position as [Your Job Title]. My last day will need to be [Last Day Date, short-notice date]. I recognise this is shorter notice than standard practice. The circumstances are personal and I would appreciate your understanding.
I will work through that date to document my current responsibilities and to help the team prepare for the transition. I am happy to be available by email for short questions for [a defined period, e.g. two weeks] after my last day.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
4. Leaving on good terms (door open)
Use when: you might want to come back, the company is small enough for it to matter, and you want to make rejoining or freelancing easy.
To: [Manager Email]
Cc: [HR Email]
Subject: Two Weeks Notice: [Your Name]
Hi [Manager Name],
I am writing to formally resign from my position as [Your Job Title] at [Company Name]. My last day will be [Last Day Date].
Working with you and the team has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career. I am proud of [one specific accomplishment, e.g. shipping the platform rebuild, doubling the editorial team, opening the second location] and I am grateful for the chance to have been part of it.
I will do everything I can to make the next two weeks a clean transition. I would also welcome staying in touch beyond my last day, whether as a sometime contractor on specific projects or just to compare notes on the work.
Thank you for everything.
[Your Name]
CC norms and send-time advice
- CC HR. At companies of 50+ employees, CC HR on the resignation email. This creates the HR record and starts the offboarding process without requiring a separate follow-up.
- Do not BCC anyone. BCCing your personal email, a colleague, or another stakeholder on a resignation email creates risk of accidental forwarding and is generally seen as evasive.
- Send during business hours. Best window is the morning of the day you intend to have the verbal conversation with your manager. Send the email 15 minutes to an hour before that conversation so the manager has the formal notice in their inbox when you sit down.
- Friday afternoon sends are a tax. The email sits unread over the weekend and the conversation happens cold on Monday. Mondays through Thursdays are cleaner.
For the conversation that should accompany this email, see the resignation conversation scripts. For a longer letter format suitable for printing, see the Word .docx template.