Employee's Resignation Letter in Ireland: Notice Period, Form and Practical Guide

Legal Background to Notice by an Employee

Termination of employment by notice in Ireland is addressed at statutory level in the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973, which came into operation on 1 September 1973 as appointed by S.I. No. 242/1973 - Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973 (Commencement) Order, 1973.

The Act defines an 'employee' broadly as an individual who has entered into or works under a contract with an employer, whether that contract is for manual labour, clerical work or otherwise, and whether it is oral, in writing, expressed or implied, under the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973.

The passages available do not set out the precise minimum notice period that an employee must give to an employer. Readers should verify the current minimum notice requirements directly in the up-to-date text of the Act before relying on any specific number of days or weeks.

Rights of the Employee During the Period of Notice

During the period of notice, an employee continues to be paid by the employer in accordance with the terms of the contract of employment, and retains the same rights to sick pay and to holidays with pay as would have applied had notice not been given, as set out in the Second Schedule (Rights of Employee During Period of Notice) to the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973.

Where there are normal working hours, an employee who is ready and willing to work but is not provided with work by the employer must still be paid for that time, under the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973.

Where there are no normal working hours, the employer must pay, for each week of the notice period, a sum not less than the employee's average weekly earnings in the thirteen weeks preceding the giving of notice, in accordance with the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973.

Written Form and Delivery of the Resignation

• The Act itself requires employers to give written particulars of the terms of employment, confirming the general importance of written documentation in the employment relationship under the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973.
• Although the passages do not contain an express provision compelling an employee's resignation to be in writing, giving notice in writing is strongly advisable for evidential purposes and to fix the exact date on which notice was given.
• Related procedural regulations confirm that, in the statutory dispute framework, notices must be in writing and are validly given if sent by registered post to the recipient's usual or last-known address or place of business, per the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment (Reference of Disputes) Regulations, 1973.
• An employee should keep a copy of the resignation letter and, ideally, obtain written acknowledgment of receipt from the employer or HR department.

Holiday Pay, Final Documents and Practical Steps on Leaving

Because the Second Schedule preserves the employee's rights to holidays with pay during the notice period, any accrued but untaken annual leave should be paid out or arrangements made for it to be taken before the employment ends, under the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act, 1973.

The source passages examined do not specify a list of documents (such as a P45-equivalent statement or reference letter) that an employer must hand over on an employee's departure. Employees should check current guidance and their contract of employment for these practical requirements, as this is not settled by the passages reviewed here.

It is good practice for an employee to request written confirmation of the last working day, final salary and holiday pay calculation, and any outstanding entitlements before leaving.

Employee Resignation Letter Template

[Employee's Full Name]
[Employee's Address]
[Employee's Email Address]
[Employee's Phone Number]

[Date]

[Employer's Name]
[Employer's Company Name]
[Employer's Address]

Re: Notice of Resignation

Dear [Employer's Name / HR Manager's Name],

I am writing to formally notify you of my resignation from the position of [Job Title] with [Company Name].

In accordance with my contract of employment [and the applicable statutory minimum notice period], my last working day will be [Last Working Day Date].

I am committed to ensuring a smooth handover of my responsibilities during my notice period and am happy to assist in training a replacement or documenting my current duties, as required.

Could you please confirm, before my last day, the arrangements for payment of my final salary and any outstanding holiday pay, as well as the documents I will receive on leaving my employment.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to work at [Company Name] and for the support I have received during my time here.

Yours sincerely,

[Employee's Signature]
[Employee's Full Name]

Fill in all bracketed details, in particular the last working day and the applicable notice period from your contract, and verify the current statutory minimum notice before finalising the letter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

This template is based on the Ireland legislation in the Europaius corpus. Verify the current wording before use; this does not constitute legal advice. Legal Advisor · Europaius IE