Two Weeks Notice Email Template
Resign professionally by email with a clear two-week notice.
Tips for your Two Weeks Notice Email
- Send it to your direct manager first.
- Keep the tone warm and professional.
About this Two Weeks Notice Email template
A two weeks notice email is the fast, practical way to resign: it lands in writing, timestamped, the moment you send it. Use it when two weeks genuinely is your notice period — normal in US at-will employment, where it is a professional courtesy rather than a legal requirement. If your contract specifies one, two or three months, this template still works, but change the wording and the date. Saying “two weeks from today” when you owe a month is a real problem, not a formality. Where a signed document is expected for your file, send a resignation letter alongside it.
Send it to your direct manager, and speak to them first if you can — nobody enjoys learning they have lost a team member from an inbox. Keep the email to the facts: role, final day, thanks, an offer to hand over cleanly. Copy HR only when the handbook says to, and never before your manager has read it.
The mistake people make is negotiating inside the resignation email. Do not air grievances, compare your new offer, or hint at what it would take to keep you. Those are separate conversations, and this message will be forwarded, filed, and possibly read by whoever is later asked for your reference.
Frequently asked questions
Is resigning by email acceptable?
In most modern workplaces, yes — especially remote ones, where email is the normal formal channel. If your contract requires signed written notice, attach a signed letter to the same email.
Is two weeks notice legally required?
No. In the US it is a widely followed custom, not a statute. In many other countries notice is set by contract or statute and is often far longer. Check your contract before you assume two weeks applies to you.
Does the notice period include weekends?
It depends on whether your contract counts calendar days or working days. Avoid the argument entirely by naming an explicit final working date rather than writing “two weeks from today”.
What if they tell me to leave immediately?
Some employers walk people out on the day, particularly in sales or finance roles. Whether your notice period is still paid depends on your contract and local rules — ask HR to confirm the arrangement in writing.
Should I say where I am going?
You do not have to. Share it if the relationship is good and you want to; keep it to yourself if you would rather not, and no reasonable employer will press the point.