Short Notice Resignation Letter
A short-notice resignation is one where you serve less than the contract says — a week instead of a month, ten days instead of sixty. Unlike an immediate resignation, you are offering some notice; the letter should make that offer clear and ask for the difference to be waived or bought out.
Name the shortfall in numbers. "I can serve 10 of the 30 days" is easier for HR to approve than a vague request.
Sample letter
Subject: Resignation With Short Notice — Vikram Singh, Sales Executive
[Date] Dear Ms. Bhatia, I am writing to resign from my position as Sales Executive at Orion Pharma. My new employer requires me to join on 5 October 2026, which allows me to serve 12 of the 30 days in my notice period. I request that the remaining 18 days be waived, or that I be permitted to buy them out under company policy. I recognise this is less notice than expected and I am sorry for the inconvenience. To limit the disruption, I will hand over my territory accounts with current pipeline notes to the regional manager by the end of this week, and I will introduce each key distributor to my replacement before I leave. During the notice period I will ensure a complete handover of my responsibilities and will document all ongoing work. Please let me know how you would like the transition planned, and kindly confirm my last working day and the relieving formalities in writing. Thank you for the support during my tenure. I wish the company and the team continued success. Sincerely, Vikram Singh Sales Executive
Names, companies and dates are illustrative. Replace the bracketed date with the day you send it.
What to get right
- Give the exact number of days you can serve and the exact shortfall.
- Attach the handover to the letter — the shorter the notice, the more the handover has to carry.
- If the new employer is paying the buyout, say so; it removes the employer’s main objection.
Generate yours — pre-filled for this situation
Notice period, reason and tone are set to match the example above. Change anything; the last working day recalculates.
Subject line
Resignation letter
[Date] Dear Anil Kumar, I am writing to formally resign from my position as Sales Executive at Infosys. As per my notice period of 15 days, my last working day will be [last working day]. I have accepted an opportunity that aligns closely with my long-term career goals, and this was not an easy decision to make. During the notice period, I will do everything I can to ensure a complete and smooth handover of my responsibilities. Please let me know how you would like me to plan the transition, and kindly confirm my last working day and the relieving formalities in writing. Thank you for the support during my tenure. I wish Infosys and the team continued success. Sincerely, Priya Sharma Sales Executive
Tip: hand your resignation over in person if you can, or email it to HR and your manager together — and always get your last-working-day confirmation in writing.
Questions about this letter
More by notice period
Other situations
Resigned? Your resume is next.
Score it against the job you actually want — free, no account for the first check.
Check My Resume Free