A resignation letter in Australia needs four things and nothing else: that you are resigning, the date of your last day, your signature or name, and the date you wrote it. You do not have to give a reason. You do not have to be warm about it. How much notice you owe comes from your award, your enterprise agreement or your employment contract rather than from a general rule, so check the one that applies to you before you commit to a date. Below are nine templates covering the situations people actually resign in, from a standard four weeks to the ones you write at eleven at night and want to get right the first time. If you would rather understand the structure than copy a template, start with our full guide to writing a resignation letter.
Somebody called our Liverpool office once to ask whether a resignation letter had to be handwritten. She had been at the same site for eleven years and had genuinely never resigned from anything before. She had written three drafts. The most recent one was two pages long and included a paragraph thanking the company for the Christmas hampers.
We told her the good version was probably four lines.
She sounded relieved and slightly disappointed at the same time, which is the correct emotional response to a resignation letter.
First, the only rules that actually matter
How much notice do you owe?
This is the question people get wrong most often, usually by assuming there is one national answer. There is not.
The Fair Work Ombudsman puts it plainly: an award, enterprise agreement or employment contract may set out how much notice an employee needs to give an employer. So the number comes from your paperwork, not from folklore.
Two practical notes on that.
The notice period starts the day after you give notice and ends on your last day. So if you hand a letter in on a Monday giving two weeks, the clock starts Tuesday.
And if you give less notice than your award requires, most awards allow your employer to deduct up to one week’s wages from your final pay if you are eighteen or older. That deduction can only come out of wages owed under the award. It cannot be taken out of your accrued leave or any over award payments.
Straight up
Read your contract before you pick a date, not after.
Every year we speak to people who announced a finish date at a coffee catch up, then found out they owed four weeks, and now have to walk it back with their new employer. Nobody has ever regretted checking first.
Does it have to be in writing?
Legally, no. You can resign verbally. But the Fair Work Ombudsman describes writing as best practice, and there is a practical reason for that: a letter creates a record of the date you gave notice and the day you intend to finish. If there is ever a disagreement about your final pay, that record is the entire argument.
Send it by email if that is how your workplace communicates. An email is a written resignation. You do not need paper, a printer or a wet signature.
Do you have to give a reason?
No. Not one word of one.
Most people include a soft reason anyway, and that is fine. Just know that anything you write becomes part of your file, will be read by people you did not intend to read it, and may be quoted back to you years later at an industry function by somebody with a long memory.
What actually happens
Somebody writes an honest letter. Genuinely honest. Two paragraphs about the roster, one about a supervisor, a line about being undervalued. They feel enormously better for about forty minutes.
Then their new employer calls their old employer for a reference, as new employers do, and a person who has been named in a document gets to describe them.
The revenge letter is the only part of resigning that has no upside at all. Put it in the notes app, write the four line version, and take yourself out for lunch instead.
The nine templates
Copy any of these, swap in your details, and delete the square brackets. All of them work as an email. If you are sending by email, use the subject line “Resignation – [Your Name]” and keep everything else the same.
1. The standard notice letter
Use this when you are working out a normal notice period and nothing unusual is going on. It is the one most people need.
Dear [Manager’s name],
I am writing to formally resign from my position as [job title] with [company name].
In line with my notice period, my final day of employment will be [date].
Thank you for the opportunity. I am happy to help with a handover and to document anything that would make the transition easier for the team.
Kind regards, [Your name] [Date]
2. The short and polite one
Use this when you want it done, done properly, and no longer than it needs to be. There is nothing rude about brevity.
Dear [Manager’s name],
Please accept this letter as notice of my resignation from the position of [job title]. My last day will be [date].
Thank you for the opportunity to work with the team.
Kind regards, [Your name] [Date]
3. The casual job
Use this when you have worked a handful of shifts, or when you are casual and simply want to stop being rostered. Casual employees generally have no ongoing commitment to work, but a short note is still the right thing to do, and it keeps you hirable.
Hi [Manager’s name],
I wanted to let you know I will not be available for further shifts after [date]. Thank you for having me on the team.
I am happy to work any shifts already on the roster before then.
Thanks, [Your name] [Date]
4. The email version
Use this when your manager is rarely on site, when you work across multiple locations, or when a printed letter would be strange in your workplace. Which is most workplaces now.
Subject: Resignation – [Your name]
Hi [Manager’s name],
I am writing to give notice of my resignation from my role as [job title] at [company name]. My last day will be [date].
I will make sure my current work is up to date and documented before I finish, and I am glad to help with anything the team needs for the handover.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Kind regards, [Your name]
5. The immediate resignation
Use this only when you genuinely cannot work the notice period. Be aware of the deduction rule above, and be aware that a short notice exit is remembered.
Dear [Manager’s name],
I am resigning from my position as [job title], effective [date].
I understand this does not provide the full notice period, and I apologise for the disruption. My circumstances have changed and I am not able to continue in the role.
I am contactable on [phone number] if there is anything urgent I can clarify for the handover.
Kind regards, [Your name] [Date]
6. The one where your manager is the reason
Use this version. Not the other one. This is the diplomatic translation of a letter you should absolutely write for yourself and absolutely not send.
Dear [Manager’s name],
I am writing to resign from my position as [job title] with [company name]. My final day will be [date].
I have decided to move in a different direction and feel this is the right time to do so.
I am happy to complete a full handover before I finish.
Kind regards, [Your name] [Date]
If you want the reasons on the record, the exit interview is the correct place for them. It is a conversation, usually with somebody other than your manager, and it does not sit in your personnel file forever as a document you wrote while angry.
7. The one where you actually loved the job
Use this when you are leaving for money, family, study or a move, and you would genuinely work there again. Say so clearly, because this is the letter that gets you rehired in three years.
Dear [Manager’s name],
After a lot of thought, I am resigning from my position as [job title]. My last day will be [date].
This has been a genuinely good place to work and I have learned a great deal here, particularly [specific thing]. Leaving was not an easy decision, and I am going because of [new opportunity, study, family reasons, relocation] rather than because of anything here.
I would like to leave the role in good shape, so please let me know what would be most useful during the handover.
Thank you sincerely for the opportunity.
Kind regards, [Your name] [Date]
8. The probation resignation
Use this when it is simply not the right fit and you have realised it early. Notice periods during probation are often shorter, so check your contract, but the tone here matters more than the length.
Dear [Manager’s name],
I am writing to resign from my position as [job title], with my final day being [date].
After [time in role], I have come to the conclusion that the role is not the right fit for me, and I would rather say so now than later.
Thank you for the training and support I have received. I am happy to return any equipment and complete a handover before I finish.
Kind regards, [Your name] [Date]
9. The one where you are going to a competitor
Use this when your next role is with a direct competitor. Keep it short, keep it factual, and expect that you may be asked to finish early or be walked out the same day. That is common and it is usually not personal.
Dear [Manager’s name],
I am writing to formally resign from my role as [job title] at [company name]. My last day will be [date], in line with my notice period.
I will be taking up a role elsewhere in the industry. I understand there may be considerations around handover and access, and I am happy to follow whatever process you would prefer, including finishing earlier if that suits the business.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Kind regards, [Your name] [Date]
Straight up
If you are going to a competitor, check your contract for restraint and confidentiality clauses before you resign, not after. Most restraints in Australia are narrower than employees fear and broader than employees assume, which is a useless sentence unless you actually read yours. Take five minutes with it.
What not to write
We have seen all of these. Several more than once.
- A list of grievances. It changes nothing and it is permanent.
- Anybody else’s name. Not the supervisor, not the colleague, not the person on the loading dock.
- A salary comparison. “I have been offered significantly more elsewhere” invites a counter offer conversation you may not want.
- A joke about the coffee, the roster or the air conditioning. It reads differently on a screen in an office you are not in.
- “Effective immediately” when it is not. If you intend to work three more days, say which three days.
- Anything you would not say out loud, in a room, to the person’s face. That is the whole test.
What happens after you send it
Your employer will usually acknowledge it in writing. If they do not within a day or two, follow up politely and get something on record.
Expect a conversation. Sometimes it is a counter offer, sometimes it is an exit interview, sometimes it is both. You are allowed to think about a counter offer, and you are also allowed to say no without a debate. If money is the reason you are leaving, it is worth reading how to ask for a pay rise properly before you accept one to stay.
Your final pay must include any outstanding wages and accrued annual leave, and depending on your award or agreement, it may include other entitlements as well. If something looks wrong on that final payslip, raise it in writing while the details are fresh.
And then, ideally, do the last two weeks well. Australian industries are small. Warehousing, manufacturing, logistics and office support in Sydney are smaller than they look. The person watching you finish properly is very often the person hiring three years from now, which is the entire argument for keeping a network.
Frequently asked questions
Does a resignation letter need to be signed?
Not necessarily. An emailed resignation with your name at the bottom is a written resignation. A signature is useful on a printed letter but it is not what makes the resignation valid.
How much notice do I have to give in Australia?
It depends on your award, enterprise agreement or contract rather than on a single national rule. Check the document that covers your role. If you cannot find it, the Fair Work Ombudsman website lists notice requirements by award.
Can my employer refuse to accept my resignation?
No. Resigning is your decision. They can ask you to reconsider, and they can discuss the finish date with you, but they cannot decline it.
What happens if I do not give enough notice?
Most awards allow your employer to deduct up to one week’s wages from your final pay if you are eighteen or older and you have not given the notice your award requires. The deduction can only come from wages owed under the award, not from your leave entitlements.
Do casual employees need to give notice?
Usually there is no ongoing commitment to work, so formal notice is often not required. Check your award anyway, and give a short written note regardless. It costs you nothing and it keeps the door open. If you have been casual at the same site for a long time, it is also worth understanding casual conversion and the 2026 casual employment rules before you decide to leave.
Can I resign while I am on leave?
Yes. You can give notice at any time, including during a period of leave. Your notice period runs as normal.
Should I say where I am going?
You do not have to. Many people do, and it is usually fine. If you are going to a competitor, keep it brief and factual.
Can I withdraw my resignation?
Only if your employer agrees. Once notice is given, they are entitled to accept it and act on it. Assume it is final when you send it.
The point
The woman from Liverpool sent the four line version. Her manager replied within the hour, wished her well, and asked whether she would consider coming back for the Christmas peak.
She did, two years running, on casual rates she was very happy with.
The two page letter with the paragraph about the hampers would not have made that any better. It might well have made it worse.
Thinking about what comes next? We recruit across manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, freight and office support in Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane, and we would rather have a real conversation than another application form. See current jobs or get in touch.
This article is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, check your award, agreement and contract, or contact the Fair Work Ombudsman.
