Needing to write a resignation letter for personal reasons can be a delicate situation to navigate. You may be dealing with a difficult situation, and not know how to convey that within your letter.
Maintaining a professional tone whilst explaining why you are leaving can be a delicate balancing act. There may also be hesitation about just how much you should share about your situation.
Our guide will examine how to approach writing a personal reasons resignation letter, and provides some letter samples for you to use if you wish.
Knowing how to hand in your notice with grace and confidence will help reduce stress levels.
What’s the Difference Between a Standard & Personal Reason Letter of Resignation?
When you write a standard letter of resignation, it is usually because your motivation for leaving your job is related to a career change or new role. Resigning for personal reasons is often a last resort, and your motivation is related to circumstances outwith your control.
Personal reasons for needing to resign could include health reasons, family issues, a change of circumstances or other commitments that need to take precedence.
When you resign, you can provide either personal or standard reasons for your resignation. If you wish to protect your privacy, it is acceptable to inform your employer you are leaving for personal reasons and leave it at that.
However, when you leave a job for personal reasons you may need to resign with immediate effect. This can leave you in breach of your employment contract because you can’t give the required notice. When this is the case, you may need to give a little more information to help your employer understand why you need to leave right away.
10 Examples of Personal Reasons to Resign
There could be a wealth of reasons for needing to resign on personal grounds. Life often throws up these curveballs that require us to rethink work life.
Here are some of the common reasons people resign for personal reasons:-
- Family Responsibilities. It may be that you wish to spend time caring for your children or an unwell family member.
- Further Education – You might resign to pursue a college or university course to make a career change.
- A Child Becoming Ill and needing to be cared for at home. Perhaps a child has become unwell or has a disability and you need to resign to care for them.
- Financial Reasons. It might be that you will be financially better off providing childcare yourself. Perhaps the job does not pay enough for you to make ends meet.
- Relocation. Maybe you and your family are embarking on a new life and commuting isn’t an option.
- Burn Out or Mental Health Issues. Perhaps you can no longer handle the workload or workplace environment and decide to resign.
- You are Unwell and unable, physically or mentally, to keep up with the demands of the job so have decided to resign while on sick leave. It might be a chronic illness, something life threatening or a difficult pregnancy.
- You Feel Undervalued. Perhaps all the work seems to fall on your shoulders with next to no gratitude. Maybe you are constantly overlooked when a promotion opens up.
- Bucket List – it might be time to get out that backpack and travel the world. This might involve resigning and fulfiling long term ambitions.
- Conflict with Management. A common reason for leaving work is due to conflict with the management, or the company culture being incompatible with your personal values.
3 Resignation Letter Samples for Personal Reasons
It can be a delicate balancing act letting your employer know your reasons for leaving without writing an essay. Sometimes, less is more when it comes to writing a resignation letter, particularly for personal reasons.
Here are some resignation letter samples when you want to cite personal reasons. Before you start, make sure you read your employment contract and understand how much notice you have to give your employer.
1. Personal Reason Short Resignation Letter Sample
If you want to keep your resignation short and simple without disclosing personal information, this template is a great place to start:-
Resignation Letter (Insert date of the letter)
Dear (to whom the letter concerns)
This letter is to inform you of my decision to hand in my resignation. This is for personal reasons that I do not wish to discuss at this time.
Based on the notice requirements in my contract, my last working day will be (insert date). Please confirm this with me.
I wish to thank you personally for all the experiences I have had during my time here. I have learned a great deal which will set me in good stead for the future. I wish you and the company all the best for the future.
Please let me know if you would like me to help with transitioning my replacement.
Kind Regards
Your Name
Resignation With Immediate Effect Resignation Letter Sample
If you need to resign with immediate effect and will be unable to give your contracted notice, this letter template will help.
Resignation With Immediate Effect (insert date of the letter)
Dear (to whom this concerns)
I wish to notify you of my decision to resign with immediate effect. I understand this is not ideal but, for personal reasons, my last working day will be (insert date). I realise I am, under normal circumstances, obliged to give (insert the number of weeks) notice. However, I hope you will understand that I have no option but to leave immediately.
You can insert a personal reason here if you wish such as:-
- A sudden major family illness or situation.
- A hostile working environment.
- Your own mental or physical well being.
- Other circumstances beyond your control.
I will be available for emails and calls while you transition my workload to the other team members. I may not be able to respond quickly but I will help where I can in the interim.
Despite how things have worked out, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the experiences. I wish you all the best for the future. Just to confirm once again that today (insert date) is my last working day.
Kind regards
Your Name
Family Reason Resignation Letter Sample
If you want to be more specific about why you are leaving your role, this letter sample uses the example of resigning due to family reasons.
Resignation Letter Due To Family Circumstances (include the date of the letter)
Dear (to whom this concerns)
I wish to inform you that I will be leaving employment with (insert company name) on (insert date). This is in line with my contractual agreement but it also takes into account holidays I have not used. Based on my contract and annual leave accrued, I have calculated my last day of work to be (insert date). If you calculate differently, please do let me know.
My reasons for leaving are based on family circumstances which mean I can’t continue in my role. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with (insert company name) and have acquired many new skills. Thank you for believing in me and helping me to grow as a (insert job title).
I wish you all the best for the future and I am happy to help in any way I can during my notice period.
Kind regards
Your Name
5 Tips on How to Write a Resignation Letter Due to Personal Reasons
Writing a resignation letter is never easy to do. Whether you are sad to leave or can’t say goodbye quickly enough, handing over a letter and giving notice is daunting. You want to strike a good balance between professionalism but also being honest.
Here’s 5 of our top tips when it comes to putting pen to paper to write that resignation letter:-
- Do not burn bridges. You never know if your paths may cross again and bad blood could make things very awkward. Always try to remain professional and gracious when explaining your resignation. Remember, you might rely on your boss to write you a good reference!
- Short and sweet is key when writing your letter. It can be tempting to waffle or include every gripe you’ve ever had but it isn’t necessary. A resignation letter only needs the finer details such as your leaving date, any holidays owed and a reason if you wish to give one.
- Be gracious if you can and thank your employer for your time there. Leaving a bad feeling is never a good thing and it is a small world out there.
- Where possible, refer to your contract when giving notice. Failure to give the correct notice is considered a breach of contract. In some cases though, immediate notice is the only option you might have.
- If possible, tell your manager you plan to resign before handing the letter over. This is more so the case if you have a good relationship with your manager. It helps to prepare them for your departure before formally resigning.
