Resignation Checklist: 25 Steps to Quit Your Job Right

The Interactive Resignation Checklist

Quitting a job is ~25 small tasks spread over three weeks, and forgetting the wrong one costs real money (PTO payouts, FSA balances, W-2s mailed to old addresses). Work through the phases below — your progress saves automatically in your browser, so come back any day and pick up where you left off. Nothing is sent to any server.

Your progress

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Phase 1 · Before You Give Notice

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Do these quietly, before anyone knows.

Secure your next step Signed offer letter in hand and start date confirmed — never resign on a verbal promise. Reread your contract and handbook Notice clauses, PTO payout conditions, bonus clawbacks, non-competes. Check bonus and vesting dates Resigning a week before a bonus payout or vesting cliff can cost thousands. Pick your date deliberately. Move personal files off work devices Photos, tax documents, personal logins. Assume access ends the moment you resign. Download pay stubs and reviews Pay stubs, performance reviews, comp letters — you may need them for loans and negotiations. Save personal contacts Colleagues and clients you want in your network, saved somewhere that isn’t the company directory. Write your resignation letter Have it ready before the conversation. The free generator on this site does it in 30 seconds.

Phase 2 · Notice Day

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The conversation, the letter, the logistics.

Book a private meeting with your manager 15 minutes, early in the week, not at 4:55 PM. Your manager hears it first — before any coworker. Deliver the news directly Decision, last day, letter, transition offer. Four sentences, then stop talking. Submit your written notice the same day Hand over the letter or send the email right after the conversation so your dates are on record. Agree on the communication plan Who tells the team and when. Don’t announce anything until this is settled. Ask the money questions Final paycheck timing, PTO payout, benefits end date, and what happens to your bonus or commissions.

Phase 3 · During Your Two Weeks

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Handover mode: protect your reputation and your money.

Write the handover document Where things live, what’s in flight, who owns what next. This is what references are made of. Train your replacement or document projects Whoever inherits your work should get a running start, not an archaeology project. Lock in your references Ask your manager and 1–2 colleagues directly, and trade personal contact info. Submit outstanding expense reports Expenses get dramatically harder to claim once you’re an ex-employee. Update your address and personal email with HR Your W-2 ships in January to whatever address is on file. Spend down your FSA Most FSA balances don’t leave with you. Order the glasses now. Plan your insurance bridge If coverage gaps before the new job, compare COBRA vs a marketplace plan before your end date.

Phase 4 · Last Day & After

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Close every loop, keep every door open.

Return equipment and badge Laptop, badge, cards, keys — and get a confirmation for anything valuable. Send a short goodbye email Warm, brief, zero grievances, personal contact info included. Do the exit interview with your head Honest about process, generous about people. Assume it gets paraphrased. Verify your final paycheck All hours, PTO payout if owed, no mystery equipment deductions. Decide on your 401(k) Leave it, roll to the new plan, or roll to an IRA — just decide on purpose, not by forgetting. Update LinkedIn and stay in touch Close the old role, announce the new one when ready, message the people who mattered.

How to use this checklist

Start in Phase 1 before you tell anyone — the pre-notice tasks (saving files, checking bonus dates, downloading pay stubs) only work while everything is still normal. Once your letter is in, access can end the same day at some companies.

Phase 2 is a single day: the conversation and the letter. If you haven't written yours yet, the free letter generator creates it in 30 seconds with your last day auto-calculated, and our guide covers exactly what to say to your boss.

Phases 3 and 4 stretch across your notice period and the week after. The money items hide there — final paycheck rules, PTO payout, and insurance bridging — along with the reputation items like the handover doc and references. For the final 24 hours in detail, see the last day of work guide.

Why the order matters

Most resignation regrets are sequence mistakes, not effort mistakes: telling a coworker before the manager, resigning a week before a vesting date, returning the laptop with the only copy of your reviews on it. The phases above are ordered so that nothing you do early forecloses something you need later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do before handing in my resignation?

Before anyone knows you are leaving: confirm your next step in writing, reread your contract for notice and payout clauses, check bonus and vesting dates, move personal files off work devices, download your pay stubs, save personal contacts, and prepare your resignation letter.

Does this checklist save my progress?

Yes. Your checked items are saved in your own browser (localStorage) — nothing is sent to any server. Come back any day during your notice period and pick up where you left off.

How long does the resignation process take?

Plan for about three weeks of small tasks: a few quiet preparation days before you give notice, the notice-day conversation and letter, the two-week handover period, and a handful of follow-ups (final paycheck, 401(k), insurance) in the week after you leave.