A termination letter is one-way notice from an employer that an employee's job is ending — it states the effective date, final pay, and property to return, but nothing is exchanged and nothing is released. That's what separates it from a severance agreement (a payment made specifically in exchange for a release of claims) and a mutual release agreement (both sides release each other, with no payment involved). Download the ready-to-fill template below, or read the full checklist first.
A complete, ready-to-fill PDF — 8 clauses, blanks for every detail, and a signature block for each party. Free, no email, no account. Read it and adapt it before you use it; the cover page explains what it can and cannot do for you.
Need the other party to sign it too? Send it for signature with a full audit trail and a tamper-evident seal on the finished file — they never need an account. See pricing.
This document is a general-purpose template provided for information only. It is not legal advice, it does not create a lawyer–client relationship, and nobody has reviewed it against your situation.
Laws differ by country, state and province, and they change. A clause that is standard in one place can be unenforceable — or illegal — in another. Terms that are ordinary between two businesses can be void in a consumer or employment context.
Read every clause before you use it, fill in every blank, and delete anything that does not apply. For anything high-value, unusual, or that you could not afford to lose a dispute over, have a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction review it before it is signed.
Employer & employee names, and the termination date
Full legal name of the company and the departing employee, and the exact date employment ends — every other deadline in the letter (final pay, property return) counts from this date.
Reason for termination, or the at-will basis
State the reason if one is being given, or state plainly that the employment is at-will and is ending without cause. Leaving this vague invites a dispute later about why someone was let go.
Final paycheck — date, method, and what it includes
When the last paycheck arrives and how it's paid, plus any accrued and unused vacation or PTO that has to be paid out. Many places set a strict deadline for the final paycheck by law — check the rule where the employee works.
Pay in lieu of notice, if any
If the company is paying instead of having the employee work out a notice period, say so and state the amount. Leave it out entirely if it doesn't apply — don't imply a payment that isn't being made.
Benefits continuation notice
When group health and other benefits end, and how the employee can continue coverage at their own cost — a COBRA notice in the US, or the local equivalent elsewhere.
Return of company property
A specific list — laptop, phone, badge, keys, credit cards — and a deadline and location for returning it. A vague "return everything" line is the most common reason equipment doesn't come back.
Reference policy statement
What the company will confirm if a future employer calls — commonly just dates of employment and title. Sets expectations without promising anything beyond standard policy.
Note on continuing obligations
A reminder that any confidentiality, non-solicitation, or non-compete agreement the employee already signed survives the termination — this letter doesn't reopen or replace those.
Signature — the employer signs, the employee doesn't have to
The letter takes effect once the employer signs and delivers it — no employee signature is needed for it to be valid. If you add a line for the employee to sign anyway, label it clearly as confirming receipt only, never as agreement.
Most termination letters only need the employer's signature — fill in the template above, then sign it yourself with the free self-sign tool before delivering it. No account needed.
Want the employee to countersign as proof of delivery? Send it to them instead — they never need an account either, and the finished file comes back sealed with an audit certificate showing who signed, when, and from where.
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