Legal Definitions - resignation

Resignation refers to the formal act of voluntarily giving up or relinquishing an office, position, right, or claim.

Here are a few examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Employment
  A senior software engineer decides to accept a new opportunity at a different company. She drafts a formal letter to her current employer, stating her intention to resign from her position, effective two weeks from the date of the letter. This act of submitting the letter and leaving her job is a resignation, as she is voluntarily relinquishing her employment.

• Example 2: Public Office
  A mayor, citing health reasons, announces that he will not complete his current term in office. He issues a public statement and sends a formal letter to the city council, declaring his immediate resignation from the mayoral position. By doing so, he is voluntarily surrendering his elected public office before its scheduled end.

• Example 3: Board Membership
  A long-standing member of a non-profit organization's Board of Directors finds that her increasing professional commitments prevent her from dedicating sufficient time to her board duties. She informs the board chair and the other directors in writing that she is resigning her seat on the board. Her action constitutes a resignation, as she is formally relinquishing her responsibilities and authority as a director.