What to Include in a Letter of Resignation
Ironically, one of the most important choices you can make during the course of a job can be what to include in a letter of resignation. The content of your "final memo" can determine the terms you leave on, the value of any reference you may request, and the possibility of a counteroffer (to stay with the company you're leaving).
Legality:
Before you start worrying about the strategy involved in retraining references or the politics of receiving a counteroffer, be sure to take into consideration that a letter of resignation is a legal document. As such, it is important that all information pertaining to names, dates, titles, and company names be exact and precise.
Date the letter itself. Standard dating would dictate that you put the month and date on the top right corner. Just being sure that it's clear when you wrote it is sufficient, however. This is doubly important considering the nature of the document. Your employer may have had you contracted to provide a two-week or one-month notice prior to resignation.
Wording that includes the position you worked and the complete and legal company name of which you worked leaves no question as to your intent. For example, opt for the more exact "I am resigning my position of Customer Service Representative at John Doe Holdings Ltd. Honouring my 30-day notice of resignation, my last day of said employment will be August 13-2012." rather then the vague "This is my 30 day notice at John Doe's."
Have your name at the bottom followed by your signature. Cross all your t's and dot your i's... do yourself a favour and run a spell-check before you print.
Reference damage control.
Sometimes one will leave a place of work with no hard feelings or resentment on either side. This is the best case scenario, and the transition will be a lot smoother in the event all parties are amicable and understand each other. However, this is not always true. It may be the case that you're leaving largely based on a disagreement or a problem that has not been resolved.
If you're leaving your employer on bad terms be sure to leave it OUT of your letter of resignation. The last place on earth you want inflammatory statements or comments that can be used against you is on paper with your name and signature on it... play nice, for you own good. Without turning your letter into a small novel, point out a few aspects of job you enjoyed that stood out to you.
"John Doe Holdings provided a team atmosphere, had a very flexible and understanding management staff, and maintained a fair and balanced work environment," is an example of how a concise,condensed comment can change the spirit of the letter. By including something along those lines, it's not a slap in the face as much as a polite farewell. Turning the tables like this can go a long way to ensuring this employer will provide a reliable reference for your future endeavors.
Counteroffer opportunity.
One should always keep the doors of opportunity wide open. If the reason for your resignation is primarily due to a dispute of some sort between yourself and your employer, don't discount the possibility that they may turn it back around on you and ask for you to stay. The likelihood of this happening is considerably lower, however, if you submit a negative letter of resignation. Leaving the possibility of a counteroffer may provide you with exactly what you're looking for.
Being diplomatic with this strategy is important. By this I mean that outright demanding that your employer make a change to retain your services comes across as an ultimatum and is not consistent with business ethic. If there's a disagreement then there's always a solution or compromise. All you should be doing in this case is making an offer to compromise and leaving it open to the employer to take it or not. An example of how you can utilize this strategy...
"I enjoyed my three years as a member of the John Doe Holdings team and would consider future employment pending revision of the pay structure in the reception department." You've left it polite, professional, and open for the employer to make an offer.
Most especially if you already have another job lined up, it is very tempting to tell your employer exactly where to put your letter of resignation and walk out. However, putting the time and effort into making a powerful statement with your letter is worth it.
