How to Write a Two Weeks’ Notice Letter & Template

July 5, 2024

If you are leaving your job – whether you’ve been offered a better-paying or happier job elsewhere, you’re moving to another city, or you’ve had some life changes that necessitate you quitting your current work – you’ll need to notify your current employer. An important skill to have in your repertoire during this time is the knowledge of how to write a two weeks’ notice letter (we’ll share a two weeks notice template below).

A two weeks’ notice letter is just what it sounds like: a notification to your employer explaining that you’ll be leaving your job within two weeks’ time. (And “two weeks” is simply a common notice time – you can also write a “six weeks’ notice” letter if that’s the actual remaining time frame you’ll be working with before your departure.) This genre is a professional courtesy and may even be a compulsory part of your original work contract. It is an opportunity to provide time and assistance for your current employer to secure your replacement.

Additionally, it is a straightforward communication and a chance to leave your current position on the best footing possible. It’s also important to remember that you should only use the two weeks’ notice letter if you are serious about actually leaving the job! For instance, if you’re using another job offer as an opportunity to leverage higher pay with your current job, then a two weeks’ notice letter might not be the best approach because it ultimately conveys finality. Below, we’ll walk you through how to write a two weeks’ notice letter, including some major stylistic components of this genre, tips on how to draft within it, and a two weeks’ notice template to get you started!

How to Write a Two Weeks’ Notice Letter: Important Rhetorical Moves

Any time you draft a piece of writing, it’s important to think about the rhetorical situation of the writing, or the audience, exigence, and constraints.[i] Your audience is the person or people who will read your writing and be influenced by it. The exigence is the reason you need to write. The constraints are the contextual elements of the writing (your relationship with the audience, the knowledge of the audience, the timing of the writing, etc.) that might affect your message. As you learn how to write the two weeks’ notice letter, identifying these components will influence your writing’s tone, style, content, and length, and will help you craft a more effective missive.

So, before you begin drafting:

Consider your audience

Who should actually receive this letter? Unless you are in an advanced position or the company is very small, you most likely won’t send this letter to the CEO of the company, but to your direct manager. Ask yourself: what is your relationship with your supervisor? The answer to this question (“We’re good friends,” or “I strictly speak to them in a professional capacity,” or “They are a mentor I highly respect”) will strongly affect the tone of the letter.

Consider the exigence

Why do you need to write this letter? You need to notify your employer you’re leaving so they can plan who will take on your work, think about budgeting for your replacement, and potentially shift schedules and duties amongst your coworkers. You should consider all of these factors as you think about the contents of your two weeks’ notice letter.

As you contemplate the “why” of your letter, you may also be wondering: Do I need to tell my employer why I’m quitting? The answer to this question depends on your unique situation. Generally speaking, however, if you are leaving for a positive or neutral reason (another job offer or a change in life situation), it’s okay to briefly explain why. You needn’t spend more than a sentence or two on this explanation. If, however, you are quitting because you don’t like your current job, now is not the time to complain or tell your boss about your unhappiness. Complaints can take place in an exit interview or a separate meeting with the company’s HR department if necessary.

Consider the constraints

Remember that the two weeks’ notice is a concise, professional, and informative letter to a workplace superior. As such, you should address the letter professionally, (with easy-to-read font and appropriate spacing and style) and edit your writing for typos. Utilize white space and paragraph blocking for easy readability. Finally, the constraints of this genre dictate that you be clear about your intentions. A key strategy to implement in this case is BLUF, or “bottom line up front,” meaning that you first state your main point and then follow that point with supporting ideas.[ii] As you’ll see in the two weeks’ notice template below, the first sentence of the letter is the bottom line: “Effective [X] date, I will be leaving [X] organization.”

How to Write a Two Weeks’ Notice Letter: Strategies

Use a professional tone. Just like with a cover letter, your tone for the two weeks’ notice letter should be formal and polite. Remember that this is a written record of your employment history and a chance for you to leave your current job on a good note. Studies have demonstrated that when email readers perceive a more civil writing tone, they are more likely to respond positively to coworkers’ writing.[iii]

Again, now is not the time to air grievances about your current place of work. As we’ve explained above, if you have legitimate complaints about working there, those can be voiced to the human resources department or in an exit interview. It’s important not to burn any bridges here if possible. Remember that in the future, you may need to ask this employer for a reference, or you may even end up working with them again in a different setting!

Be direct and concise. It can be tempting to want to “talk around” your resignation, bolstering your point with explanations and digressions. You may even want to avoid the main point of the letter out of embarrassment that you’re ultimately leaving. In fact, learning how to write a two weeks’ notice letter can be just as daunting (and maybe as nerve-wracking!) as asking for a raise. But remember that your reader should not have to search for the meaning of your letter: it should be clear that you are leaving, you are leaving in two (or another amount) weeks’ time, and your leaving is definitely happening.

How to Write a Two Weeks’ Notice Letter (Continued)

Take your time. You shouldn’t hastily scribble a two weeks’ notice letter. This is an important form of communication that deserves your consideration. As such, spend time brainstorming, drafting and polishing your writing using our tips on how to write a two weeks’ notice letter and referencing our two weeks’ notice template below!

How to Write a Two Weeks’ Notice Letter: Other Important Content

Consider the logistics of leaving. Will your employer need to hire a completely new person to fulfill your duties when you leave? Or can other coworkers pick up your work in the interim? In what ways can you perform organizational or preparatory work to enable your successor to have the smoothest start possible? It’s important to offer to help with the transition and you should anticipate where your help will be needed. Finally, assure your boss that you will continue to work at the highest standard until your last day on the job.

Proactively ask to schedule a meeting with your boss. Chances are, your employer will want to sit down and chat with you about the next steps you’ll need to take as you transition out of this job. In your two weeks’ notice letter, anticipate questions your employer may have and offer to answer them in this meeting.

How to Write a Two Weeks’ Notice Letter (Continued)

Note: Any time you schedule a meeting with a superior, let them know the times you are not available (unavailability should only be because of work obligations), and then open up your calendar to meet with them at any other time that is most convenient for them. Example: “I will be in work meetings all day on Monday and Thursday, but I am available to meet with you any other time. Please let me know a time that is most convenient for you.” This is the swiftest and most painless method of communication to schedule workplace meetings.

Express thanks. You don’t need to be effusive in your gratitude if it’s not authentic, but part of leaving on a good note includes thanking your employer for your time at this job. If you can, brainstorm specific things you are grateful for. Expressing thanks in the two weeks’ notice letter might include:

Gratitude about specific types of mentorship
Personal satisfaction with the work you’ve been able to perform
Ways you’ve learned and grown in this particular field
Opportunities this job has afforded you
Positive relationships with coworkers and bosses
Overall happiness with company culture and attitude

Using A Two Weeks’ Notice Template

Use the following two weeks’ notice template as a skeleton which you can then flesh out with your own personal details (like real coworkers’ names, your particular projects and responsibilities, and specific things you’re grateful for). Remember that templates have a “generative quality,” meaning that you can use them as a starting point to spark ideas on your own, richer writing.[iv]

Good luck!

Two Weeks’ Notice Template:

[YOUR NAME]

[YOUR ADDRESS]

[DATE]

[NAME OF COMPANY / EMPLOYER]

[ADDRESS OF COMPANY / EMPLOYER]

Dear [EMPLOYER’S NAME],

Effective [X DATE], I will be leaving [X ORGANIZATION]. [IF APPLICABLE, INCLUDE A ONE SENTENCE EXPLANATION FOR LEAVING.] This letter serves as my [NUMBER] weeks’ notice. It has been a pleasure working with you and our team members at [X ORGANIZATION] over the past [NUMBER] years. I have learned so much about [SPECIFIC FIELD OF WORK] under your guidance and leadership and I will always appreciate the time I’ve spent working at [X ORGANIZATION] because [IF POSSIBLE, LIST SPECIFIC REASONS FOR GRATITUDE].

In the next [NUMBER] weeks, I will continue to perform my duties as [LIST SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES]. I will finish my ongoing projects and ensure that [COWORKER] and / or [COWORKER or SUBORDINATE] are able to continue [SPECIFIC PROJECTS or RESPONSIBILITIES] in my absence, until you are able to hire my replacement.

I’m also happy to meet to discuss any questions you may have about [ANTICIPATE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOUR EMPLOYER MAY HAVE]. I cannot meet on Monday or Thursday due to [WORK-RELATED COMMITMENTS], but I am otherwise open at any time that is most convenient for you. In the meantime, if you have any questions about my ongoing work with [SPECIFIC PROJECT], please don’t hesitate to reach out in the interim before my official end date.

Thank you again for your time and mentorship.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Additional Blogs of Interest

How to Write a Two Weeks Notice Letter/ Two Weeks Notice Template – Works Cited

[i] Bitzer, Lloyd F. “The Rhetorical Situation,” Philosophy & Rhetoric. Vol. 1, No. 1 January 1968, pp. 1-14.
[ii] BLUF (The Topic Sentence Handout). Carnegie Mellon Student Academic Success Center: Communication Support. https://www.cmu.edu/student-success/other-resources/handouts/comm-supp-pdfs/bluf-topic-sentence.pdf
[iii] Goldman, Chloe B. “Don’t Take that Tone with Me! An Examination of Attribution and Evaluation as a Consequence of Incivility Perceived in Workplace Email.” Colorado State University ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2022. https://www.proquest.com/openview/b677a65d7b516cfc0a367e6be7a78925/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
[iv] Graff, Gerard, and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2006.

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Career & Life

Jamie Smith

For the past decade, Jamie has taught writing and English literature at several universities, including Boston College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Carnegie Mellon, where she currently teaches courses and conducts research on composition, public writing, and British literature.