When you decide to quit your job, you will need to send out a short and simple two weeks notice letter. This will notify your employer of your plans and give them enough time to make all the necessary arrangements.
Today, we are looking into how to write a two weeks notice letter or email, what information to include and what to consider before hitting the “send” button.
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What does it mean to give two weeks’ notice?
When you hand in a two weeks’ notice, it essentially means that you are quitting your current job. It also tells the employer that you will be leaving the company on a specific date. Once you’ve handed in your notice, your employer or HR manager may start looking for someone else to fill your position.
What is the difference between a resignation letter and a two weeks’ notice?
A resignation letter and a two weeks’ notice both have the same purpose: to inform your employer about your intent to leave the company. However, they can be used to express different things.
For instance, a letter of resignation can be used to inform your employer about your intention to leave without a specific date in mind. You can use this letter to give your employer and team plenty of time to prepare for your departure and explain how you see the work transferring process.
Learn how to write a resignation letter.
A two weeks’ notice, on the other hand, lets the employer know that you will be leaving the company on a specific date. You can also present your ideas about how to best transfer your remaining work but you will need to do that within the two weeks’ period.
Both a resignation letter and a two weeks’ notice will typically include the following information:
- Your intent to leave
- Why you are leaving (optional)
- The date you plan to leave
- A statement of appreciation for your employer and team
How to write a two weeks notice letter
A two weeks’ notice is not particularly difficult to write. As we’ve mentioned above, it should include the following standard information:
- You are leaving your current position.
- Your reason for leaving (without going into too much detail).
- When your final work day will be.
- A thank you note to your employer, company and team.
- New contact details to keep in touch.
Let’s get into more details about the best practices of writing a two weeks notice letter or email.
- Write your notice as a business letter. Write and format your two weeks’ notice as a formal letter. Start with your contact information at the top, today’s date and your employer‘s contact information.
- Include the date of your final working day. The most important information that you should include in your two weeks notice letter is the date when you are leaving the company. You can either mention a specific date or say that you will be living within a certain period from the date of the letter. This will give your employer an estimation of how much time they have to prepare for your departure and organize your work transfer process.
- Keep it simple. Do not overcomplicate your two weeks’ notice. The main purpose of this letter is to give your employer very standard information: the fact that you’re leaving and when you’re leaving. There is no need to go into too much detail or make the letter too abstract. All the other details of your resignation can be discussed after you sent the two weeks notice letter.
- Say thank you. This is optional but it’s recommended that you consider leaving a thank you note for your employer and your team in your two weeks’ notice or resignation letter. You can thank the company for the experience you’ve gained while working with them all for the help and support that you received from your employer and coworkers.
- Stay positive. It’s best to keep your two weeks’ notice or resignation letter simple and positive. Avoid going into too much detail about why you’re leaving, especially if you’re doing so for personal reasons. If needed, you can always explain to your coworkers or employer the details of your decision in a personal conversation. Your two weeks’ notice however should be a formal note as it only includes work relevant information.
- Offer assistance. It’s good practice to complete your letter with an offer of help. You can mention that he will be willing to help your employer and team throughout the transition process. You can also offer specific help, for instance, training a new employee. Alternatively, you can say that you will do your best to finish all your current projects before your final day at work.
- Re-read your two weeks’ notice. Before hitting send on your two weeks’ notice, go through the email one more time. Make sure it doesn’t contain any spelling mistakes or typos. Remove any unnecessary information that can be discussed later. Finally, make sure your letter is written in a formal tone yet sounds friendly and positive.
- Check two weeks’ notice letter samples. If you’re not sure how to write your two weeks’ notice check out at least two weeks’ notice letter samples or samples for resignation emails. You can find a few of these in this article.
- Leave your new contact details. Make sure there is a way for you and your former employer and co-workers to keep in touch. Leave your non-work contact details and mention that you are open for conversation.
Two weeks’ notice letter example
Leah Queens
45th Street
Orlando, FL, 32789
(754) 655-2012
leahqueens@email.com
April 5, 2022
Dear John,
I am writing this letter to announce my resignation from Wolf Networks effective two weeks from the date of this letter.
I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to work with you five years ago. During this time, I have grown both personally and professionally and will always be grateful to you and my team for you unfailing support.
I am happy to help throughout all the stages of this transition process. I will also make sure all my current projects are successfully completed or transferred before my last day.
You can always reach me at leah.queens@email.com.
Sincerely,
Leah Queens
Two weeks’ notice email example
Subject: Resignation notice — Leah Queens
Dear John,
Please accept this email as a formal notice of my resignation from Wolf Networks. My last day will be April 20, 2022, two weeks from today.
I sincerely appreciate all the support I’ve received from you personally and from my co-workers during my time at the company. However, I feel that it’s time for me to explore new career opportunities.
Please let me know how I can assist you with the transition process.
I wish you, the company and all your team lots of professional success.
Thank you again for all you’ve done for me.
Best regards,
Leah
Learn how to write a resignation email.
What to consider before giving your two weeks’ notice?
Before you hand in or send out your two weeks’ notice, there are several things you may want to consider.
- Future plans. Are you leaving the company for a new job that’s already lined up or will you just be starting your job search? Will you stay in the same line of work or are considering changing industries? Do you have enough experience and qualifications to quickly land a new job?
- Financial stability. Do you have enough resources to be without an income and for how long? How will quitting your current job affect your lifestyle: travel, rent, daily expenses, etc.?
- Health insurance and retirement. How will quitting the job affect your health insurance plan? If you have a work permit, will you need to notify relevant authorities about the change in employment? How will this affect your 401(k)?
It’s best to consider all of the questions above and more before making your final decision to resign from the company.
Summing things up
So, let’s sum up all we’ve talked about today regarding the two weeks’ notice:
- A two weeks’ notice is a letter or email you send to let your employer/HR manager know that you will be leaving within two weeks’ time.
- A two weeks’ notice should include the following: the date of your last day at the company, a thank you for your employer and team and an offer to assist with the transition process.
- Keep your two weeks notice letter or email simple and positive. Don’t go into too much detail about the reasons behind your resignation. Do not use the letter to complain about your work or colleagues.
- Add your non-work contact details at the end of the letter or email to keep in touch after you leave.
Learn more about how to quit a job.