Many employees often find themselves in a predicament where they have to leave their jobs immediately for reasons of their own. However, resigning without providing notice won’t go well with your employer. If you want to maintain your professional relationship, you should write an immediate resignation letter.
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Immediate Resignation Letters
Can I resign effective immediately?
It is standard practice for employees who plan to resign to give a 2-week’s notice. This gives your employer ample time to complete any projects and at the same time, allow them time to look for your replacement.
However, there might be circumstances when you have exhausted every possible effort to inform your employer of your plans to make an early exit but these efforts still aren’t enough.
As such, you would have to leave without notice. What you can do after the fact is to write an immediate resignation letter that informs your employee that you have to resign right away and you can’t give the standard 2-weeks’ notice.
Resignation Letters Effective Immediately
Common reasons for immediate resignation
It is an act of professionalism and courtesy to give 1 to 2-week’s notice before resigning from your job. This is important because it increases your chances of maintaining a cordial relationship which you can use as a reference for the future.
But there are times when giving such notice isn’t an option. If you have to immediately resign your position, there are procedures to follow that will ensure you do so in a courteous and professional manner like giving an immediate resignation letter.
A resignation letter effective immediately is only for when you need to leave without notice. The common reasons for this include:
- A personal crisis
- An unsafe work environment
- An illness
- If you experience harassment that might be either mental, emotional or physical
- Mental health
- You’re not getting paid
How do I write a letter of immediate resignation?
Writing an immediate resignation letter for personal reasons is an act of courtesy and professionalism. This is a professional letter sent to your employer that states that you must immediately terminate your employment.
In the letter, you notify your employer about your reasons for leaving. For the immediate resignation letter to carry a courteous and professional tone, follow these steps:
- Use the standard format for business letters
Make it a point to write your same day resignation letter in a standard format because it displays professionalism. This format includes your full name and contact details at the top along with the date, name, and address of your employer at the top-left corner.
The body of your letter should contain 2 to 3 short paragraphs. The letter then ends with an exit greeting followed by your complete name. When using this format, try to limit it to one page. If you’re constrained by time or you can’t deliver the letter in person, send it to your manager and the HR Department through e-mail. - Maintain a grateful and optimistic tone
It would be very difficult to depart from your job, especially if you love what you’re doing. You may feel emotional about your decision. But in writing your letter, it’s important that you maintain a grateful and optimistic tone.
Don’t forget to thank your employer for the knowledge and skills you’ve gained during the time you spent with them. Maintaining optimism helps you maintain a good relationship with your former employer as this might be very useful in case you need their reference in the future. - State when you plan to leave
State the date of your last day of employment. Even if your last day coincides with the day you’re handing the letter, it’s still important for your employer to know when you plan to leave so they can fix their schedules accordingly. In the case where you have to leave immediately, it’s recommended to state this date from the start. - Only provide relevant details
There’s no need to mention things that aren’t relevant to your letter’s purpose. Just make sure that your employer knows the reason for your decision. For instance, if you plan to leave due to an illness, illness or death in your family or any other kind of emergency, let your employer know this without sharing too many details.
Immediate Resignation Letters For Personal Reasons
How do you resign immediately?
An immediate resignation letter is a written notice that informs your employer of your imminent departure. As mentioned earlier, professional standards dictate that a 2-week’s notice before departure is the usual practice.
Leaving too abruptly might create logistical issues and other problems in your workplace. The presentation of a well-crafted quit without notice letter that explains your sudden resignation may help smooth things over.
But if you have to resign immediately, you can make it easier for your employer to accept your decision by following these steps:
- Go through your contract
You have to go through your contract to make sure you won’t get into trouble. For instance, find out what the contract says about working with certain companies, how long you must wait before working with any competitors, and what’s the acceptable notice period in your company. These are important details that will help keep you out of trouble. - Inform your employer right away
Time is of the essence here, so make sure to communicate as soon as possible with your employer when it’s clear that you have to leave. If you can, it’s best to speak to your employer in person. Set a meeting to discuss this difficult subject. - State your reasons
A sudden departure is not good news and it might sour your professional relationships. However, sharing some background information about your decision can smooth things over. Generally, a sudden departure happens because of unavoidable circumstances instead of your own negligence.
Most companies don’t feel sympathetic towards employees whose short notices stem from their own mistakes or oversight. If you can’t give a reasonable excuse for leaving, your employer might assume the worst. - Try your best to still give 2-week’s notice
Try to provide your employer as much advanced notice as possible. Of course, the standard 2-week’s notice is best. If you can’t, explain why. - Submit your letter
You should submit your signed letter to your supervisor or to an HR representative as soon as you have written it. Then save one copy for your own records.
