A two weeks notice letter is something that you should know how to draft so that you can offer a notice period to your employer if you plan to leave your job. You can leave immediately from any job, but you might not be given a good recommendation later on by the company that you have quit working for.
Your notice letter or resignation letter is an expected formality that many companies will appreciate you taking the time to deliver if you have gotten another job somewhere else. Companies have the option to release you from your job prior to the end of your notice period, but most companies do not opt to exercise this right.
Table of Contents
- 1 2 Week Notice Letter
- 2 What is a Two Weeks Notice Letter Used For?
- 3 2 Week Notice Letter Examples
- 4 Why Should You Use a Two Weeks Notice Letter
- 5 Can I Write a Two Weeks Notice Letter?
- 6 What Needs to be Included in a Two Week Notice Letter?
- 7 2 Week Notice Letter Sample
- 8 Components of a 2 Week Notice Letter
- 9 Can I Give Notice in an Email?
- 10 Tips for Writing an Effective and Polite Two Weeks Notice Letter
- 11 2 Week Notice Letter Templates
- 12 Two Weeks Notice Letters Are Still an Industry Standard
2 Week Notice Letter
What is a Two Weeks Notice Letter Used For?
A two weeks notice letter is used to indicate that you are giving notice that you are leaving your job. Your notice letter is a formality, but most companies will appreciate you taking the time to create this document to indicate that you are planning to quit your job. This kind of notice letter is typically typed out and then signed by yourself before it is submitted to your manager.
Not all companies require this kind of notice letter, and some businesses will actually forbid you from continuing in your job role once they know that you are going to be quitting. Banking and industries where trade secrets might be involved will almost always escort employees off the premises right after they have indicated that they want to give their two weeks notice.
2 Week Notice Letter Examples
Why Should You Use a Two Weeks Notice Letter
Whether it is an industry norm or not to offer up a notice letter when leaving a job, you should still plan to do so just in case you ever want to be hired back at the same company or to use the company name as a reference in your resume. The notice period portion of giving notice at a job is standard practice.
Not every company requires a full two weeks notice letter to be submitted to them. You might only be expected to give one weeks notice to leave a job. In this case, you can simply adjust the timeline mentioned in your letter. Any resignation letter template will allow you to adjust these kinds of details when you draft your own version of the notice letter.
Using this kind of notification is a good idea for many reasons, not least of which being able to use a business that you worked for as a reference on your resume. Even if you are not planning to use the company as a reference, you will want to be sure that you attempt to take all the proper steps when ending a contract or job with a company. The two week notice letter is still considered standard practice and should be offered any time that you plan to quit a job.
Can I Write a Two Weeks Notice Letter?
You can draft your own two weeks notice letter from a template if you wish. The two weeks notice letter template will often be set up to allow you to change the notice period, the information related to the reason for your resignation letter submission, and more. Templates can be adjusted to offer one weeks notice as well without changing the rest of the language of the two weeks notice letter.
While some people opt to have a professional writer or even a lawyer draft their two weeks notice letter, you can take care of this kind of writing job with ease on your own. The two weeks notice letter that you submit to your employer doesn’t need to be a work of art. It just needs to meet the standards for professional courtesy and be clear about the fact that you are giving two weeks notice of your intention to leave your current job.
What Needs to be Included in a Two Week Notice Letter?
There are some specific details that should be included in all two weeks notice letters. You will want to be sure that you have these items in your letter even if you decide to leave out further details about the reasons that you are leaving your job. The resignation letter that you submit can be as detailed or as basic as you wish. The reasons behind your desire to offer a two weeks notice may not need to be explained to your current employer.
Employment contracts cannot actually require you to indicate why you are giving notice in most cases. You are allowed to leave a job if you choose, and you do not actually have to explain why you are offering a resignation letter if you do not wish to do so. This is an optional aspect of drafting a two weeks notice letter, and you can choose to indicate reasons for quitting if you so choose.
2 Week Notice Letter Sample
Components of a 2 Week Notice Letter
The components of the two weeks notice letter are very basic, and it is easy to be sure that your two weeks notice has all the right information in it. Your employment contract might specify items that need to be added along with these basic details. If you think that this might be the case, you should look at the termination policies that your company has detailed in their employment contract.
If you are not clear about what you need to include in your two weeks notice letter, you can reach out to an attorney to help you ensure that you draft a two weeks notice that is correct and complete. This is a rare situation, but certain kinds of industries will require more specific information in a resignation letter related to trade secrets or other classified information.
The basic components of a two weeks notice letter are as follows:
- Name and address of the person who you are providing the letter to. This might be a boss or a manager, or you could address your two weeks notice letter to the company’s HR department if you are not sure. Having the address of the business in this part of the letter is a good idea as well. Following basic letter format can make drafting your two weeks notice letter much easier.
- State your intention to quit working for your current employer in two weeks time. This can be made even more clear by indicating your expected last day of work in this part of the letter. The header of your letter can also indicate the date that you drafted the letter, which will give your employer the right starting date for your two week notice.
- Thank your employer for having hired you and for your time with the company. While you might not feel positiveabout the work experience that you had at this employer, if you think that you will want to use the company as a reference in the future, it is a good idea to include your gratitude. You do not have to be effusive in your praise. You can simply indicate that you are grateful for your time with the company even though you are giving your two weeks notice.
- Mention that you intend to work during your two weeks notice period and that you are planning to continue to work at a high level despite having given your notice. Many employers will appreciate this sentiment as there are lots of employees who do not continue to take care of their work tasks once they have given notice.
- Close the letter with a formal business letter closing such as sincerely, and then type your name underneath. Leave a gap for your signature to be placed beneath the closing statement. This part of the letter should be in the center of the page.
Can I Give Notice in an Email?
While it might be tempting to deliver your resignation letter via email, this is still not considered to be standard practice in most industries. You might need to do this if you work a fully remote job. However, you can also offer to set up a meeting with your boss to be able to speak to them in a Zoom call as you deliver your two weeks notice. This shows that you are aware that you might be inconveniencing the company and indicates good faith that you will continue to work hard for the company while you still hold your job title.
Email resignation letters are becoming increasingly common, but in years past, this kind of resignation letter would have been considered very rude. Make sure that you verify whether or not there are limitations on this kind of resignation letter submission practice at your company. Giving your two weeks notice in any format is still better than skipping over this step altogether.
Remember that email is only effective for this kind of formal notice process in the following situations:
- You have an issue with management or HR, which makes it impossible for you to take care of this task in person.
- You work a fully remote position and cannot come into the office to deliver a typed notice.
- Your company’s policy indicates that they prefer an email resignation letter.
Tips for Writing an Effective and Polite Two Weeks Notice Letter
- Be polite and positive. Your attitude will shine through in your writing, so make sure that you consider the tone of your letter very carefully. While you might have hated every moment of a job that you held, it is better to leave on a positive note than to leave with hard feelings. Remember as well, that many HR departments and management staff are not really responsible for the company policies and choices that might have made you want to turn in your resignation letter.
- Keep it simple. It is always better to simply state the bare facts in your two weeks notice letter template. You will not need to go into great detail in order to serve your notice to quit. If you wish to meet with a manager or HR to discuss your two weeks notice letter further, you will usually have the chance to do so. A formal resignation letter is merely a means to track your intention to offer up a formal resignation letter and does not require that a lot of detail be added to it.
- Plan to be escorted out right after you give notice. While you might not experience an immediate dismissal after you give your two week’s notice letter to your boss or the HR department, many companies will ask you to leave as soon as they know that you wish to quit. Be ready to be walked out right away.
- Follow the requests of your employer after you give your two weeks notice letter or a two weeks notice email. The processes that are demanded of you related to giving notice cannot be ignored or you might not be able to get your final paycheck or use the company in question as a reference in the future.
2 Week Notice Letter Templates
Two Weeks Notice Letters Are Still an Industry Standard
No matter what industry you work in, you will likely be expected to offer a two weeks notice letter if you are going to quit your job. While this is typically not required in order to quit a job, it is often the best way to ensure that you leave a job on a good note. You might need to use a company as a reference in the future, and you will want to be sure that you can secure your last paycheck with ease as well.
Companies have the right to escort you out right after you give your notice, but many businesses will appreciate that you can give them the time to replace you during your last two weeks of work. Offering this kind of professional courtesy is essential to leaving each job on a good note.