Resignation acknowledgement
An employer's reply to an employee's resignation, confirming the last day, knowledge transfer, ROE / final pay, and surviving obligations.
Re: Resignation acknowledgement
Dear ,
This letter confirms receipt of your resignation from the position of at , which we received on . Your last day worked will be .
Knowledge transfer
Final pay
We will issue your Record of Employment (ROE) electronically through Service Canada within five calendar days of your last paid day, with reason code E (Quit) unless circumstances require otherwise.
Surviving obligations
Your obligations of confidentiality, intellectual-property assignment, and non-solicitation under your employment agreement and related documents continue to apply. Please return all Company property — laptops, mobile devices, security access, and any confidential materials — by your last day.
Thank you for your contributions during your time with us. We wish you the very best in what comes next. If you have questions about benefits continuation, your final pay, or the transition plan, please contact your manager or our people team.
Sincerely,
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Made with WalnutsHR Paper · Reviewed for Ontario · April 2026
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No compliance hints for this jurisdiction yet — your document looks good for the basics. Have a lawyer review before sending anything consequential.
About this template
A resignation acknowledgement closes the loop on a voluntary departure. It confirms the dates you both agreed on, summarizes the transition plan, and reminds the employee of the obligations that survive their last day.
When to use it
- An employee has given notice and you want a formal record of the agreed last day.
- You need to capture the transition plan in writing so the employee leaves cleanly.
- You want to remind the employee of confidentiality, IP, and non-solicitation obligations on the way out.
What to include
- The date you received the resignation and the agreed last day.
- Knowledge-transfer expectations.
- Final-pay summary and ROE / final-paycheque timing.
- Surviving obligations and property-return logistics.
- A genuinely warm closing.
Frequently asked questions
Should I ask for a written resignation if the employee only said it verbally?
Yes. A short written confirmation from the employee — even a Slack message — protects everyone. The acknowledgement letter then references that confirmation.
Can the employee withdraw their resignation?
Generally a resignation, once tendered and accepted, is binding. But Canadian courts have set a high bar for accepting a resignation in the heat of the moment. If an employee resigns angrily and asks to withdraw it shortly after, talk to a lawyer before refusing the withdrawal — the test is whether a reasonable employer would have understood it was a clear, considered decision.
Do I need to give a Record of Employment for a resignation?
Yes. The ROE (reason code E for "Quit") is required regardless of the reason for separation. Service Canada uses it to determine EI eligibility — though resignations rarely qualify for EI, the ROE is still mandatory.
Legal disclaimer. If the resignation is not clearly voluntary — if you encouraged it, gave the employee no real choice, or substantially changed their job before they resigned — what you call "resignation" may be re-characterized as constructive dismissal. The acknowledgement letter often becomes evidence in that re-characterization. Don't pressure an employee to resign in lieu of termination without an employment lawyer's advice.
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