Resignation letter: the notice period, your last day and what to ask for
A resignation letter is your own written notice to the company, signed by you, recording your last working day worked out against the notice period in your appointment letter or employment agreement.
It needs no stamp paper, registration, notary or witnesses in Punjab or Chandigarh; what matters is that you can prove it reached the company.
Read your own notice clause before you send it: whether you can serve the notice, ask for a waiver or pay in lieu depends on what your contract says, not on what you would prefer.
Checked on against our Resignation Letter page and its notes, which state the position for Punjab and Chandigarh. Our page states no notice period and no statutory entitlement, because what you can ask for turns on your own contract; for a bond, a probation clause or a dispute, speak to somebody who has read your papers. Guide updated .
What is a resignation letter, and who writes it?
It is the employee’s own letter, written and signed by you, not the company’s. It tells the company you have decided to leave and on what terms: your last working day, how you are handling the notice period, and what you expect handed over or settled before you go.
It is not the letter ending someone’s employment from the company’s side; that is the termination or warning letter. And it is not the certificate confirming that the exit is complete once the notice period has run and dues are settled; that is the experience and relieving letter, issued afterwards (see our experience certificate guide).
Our free resignation letter takes you through who you are, the company, the notice period and your last working day, your handover and what you are asking for, and the place and date.
How do you handle the notice period?
Start with your appointment letter or employment agreement. Its own notice clause decides what you can ask for by way of a waiver, and what the company can insist on. The letter then has you choose one of three positions:
- Serve the full notice period and keep working until your last working day.
- Ask the company to waive all or part of the notice, giving your reason.
- Offer to pay the company in lieu of the unserved part, where your contract permits it.
Work out your proposed last working day against that notice period and write it in. The company may confirm the date or discuss it with you. If you signed an employment agreement or an appointment letter, that is where your notice clause sits; our offer letter guide explains how those papers fit together.
Do you have to give a reason for resigning?
No. A reason is optional, and many resignation letters give none. If you choose to give one, a brief, neutral line is enough; the letter does not need, and does not benefit from, a detailed explanation. The form asks for a reason only if you are requesting a waiver of notice.
What should you ask the company to settle before you leave?
Ask for your full and final settlement, including any accrued leave encashment and outstanding reimbursements, and for the papers you will need afterwards: an experience and relieving letter and a service certificate.
If company policy requires an exit interview, a no-dues clearance form, or the return of an asset such as a laptop, ID card or SIM, name those in your letter rather than relying on a general request.
If dues are not paid after you go, list them one by one with the amount of each. The legal notice for unpaid salary or dues suggests notice pay, leave encashment, bonus, gratuity and reimbursements, and its own example lists leave encashment for 12 days (Rs 14,000) and travel expenses for June 2026 (Rs 6,500).
Does resigning early break a bond or training-cost clause?
Possibly, but the resignation letter does not settle that. If your appointment letter or a separate agreement has a bond, a training-cost recovery clause or a minimum-service clause, check whether leaving before the stated period triggers it. That is a separate matter between you and the company, and the letter does not address recovery of any such amount.
Check confidentiality as well. If you signed a separate non-disclosure agreement during your employment, see whether its obligations survive your resignation.
Does a resignation letter need stamp paper, a notary or witnesses?
No. In Punjab and in Chandigarh a resignation letter is a notice from you to the company, not an instrument creating or transferring any right, so it is not chargeable to stamp duty under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899. Section 17 of the Registration Act, 1908 has no application to a letter of this kind, so it is not registrable. No notary and no witnesses are needed; a notary adds nothing.
What does matter is proof of delivery. Hand the letter over against an acknowledgement, or send it by a method that lets you prove it arrived, such as email with a read receipt or a dated courier, and keep that proof. The company’s acknowledgement printed at the foot of our letter only records that it arrived and when; it is not a witness’s attestation.
Questions people ask
Can I just decide to pay in lieu of notice instead of serving it?
Only if your appointment letter or employment agreement gives you that option. Some contracts leave the choice of waiving or buying out notice to the company alone, in which case asking for it in your letter is a request the company may decline, not a right you can exercise on your own. Check the notice clause before assuming either option is yours to choose.
Do I have to give a reason for resigning?
No. Stating a reason is optional, and many resignation letters do not include one. If you do give one, a brief, neutral line is enough.
Does a resignation letter need to be stamped, notarised or registered in Punjab or Chandigarh?
No. It is a notice from you to the company, not a chargeable instrument, so no stamp duty applies in either place, and it is not registrable. No notary or witness is needed. Keep proof that it was delivered: an acknowledgement, an email with a read receipt or a dated courier.
What should I ask the company to settle before I leave?
Your full and final settlement, including any accrued leave encashment and outstanding reimbursements, and the papers you will need afterwards: an experience and relieving letter and a service certificate. If company policy requires an exit interview, a no-dues clearance form or the return of a laptop, ID card or SIM, list those specifically.
What is the difference between a resignation letter and an experience or relieving letter?
The resignation letter starts your exit: you write and sign it, telling the company you are leaving and on what terms. The experience and relieving letter is the company’s own certificate, issued afterwards once the notice period has run and your dues are settled, confirming that the exit is complete.
This guide explains the rules as our document pages state them. It is not legal advice about your own situation; for that, speak to somebody who has heard your facts.