What must your resignation letter say?
Two things, in writing: the date your notice starts and how long it lasts. Without them, the notice is void, as the SPF Employment specifies. The contract then ends immediately, and you owe your employer a notice indemnity.
You do not need to give a reason. Keep the letter short: your name, the date, the fact that you resign, the start date and duration of your notice, and your signature. The duration comes from your seniority, as set out in how much notice you give when you resign.
How do you hand in your resignation?
You have three valid options as an employee:
- Hand the letter to your employer in person and ask for a signed and dated copy as proof of receipt
- Send it by registered letter: it counts as received on the third working day after it is sent
- Have it served by a bailiff: it counts as received on the day it is served
Hand delivery is the simplest and is open to employees only: an employer cannot dismiss you that way. Whatever the method, your notice starts on the Monday after the week in which the letter is received.
What should you check before you resign?
First, that your new contract is signed. A notice that has been given cannot be taken back on your own, which is why our page on the counter-offer advises against resigning on a verbal offer.
Then three details that cost money if they are missed. Whether you have a non-compete clause and whether your employer is likely to apply it. Whether leaving before December affects your end-of-year bonus, which in Joint Committee 200 is only kept after three years of seniority when you resign. And what resigning means for unemployment benefits if the next job falls through.
What happens after you resign?
You keep working and being paid until the end of your notice, unless your employer agrees to release you earlier. During the notice you are entitled to paid time off to look for a job, half a day a week, and a full day a week in the last 26 weeks, according to the SPF Employment.
On your last payslip you receive your exit holiday pay, and your employer gives you your social documents and a certificate stating the dates of your contract. Keep the holiday certificate for your new employer. If you are still looking for your next role, you can browse the IT and engineering roles currently open.
