Q&A: What happens if an employee resigns and then attempts to retract their resignation?
Published on: 03/09/2026
Issues Covered:
Article Authors The main content of this article was provided by the following authors.
Madison Bowyer Associate in the Employment Law Group of Arthur Cox NI
Madison Bowyer Associate in the Employment Law Group of Arthur Cox NI
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Madison has experience dealing with both contentious and non-contentious employment law matters. Madison advises a range of employers across various sectors on all aspects of employment law. Madison’s practice area includes advisory work and corporate transactions.

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This month's question:

What happens if an employee resigns and then attempts to retract their resignation?

As a general principle of UK employment law, a clear and unambiguous resignation takes effect once it has been communicated to the employer. Acceptance by the employer is not usually required and a resignation cannot ordinarily be withdrawn without the employer's consent.

Consequently, where an employee resigns and subsequently changes their mind, the employer is under no legal obligation

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Disclaimer The information in this article is provided as part of Legal Island's Employment Law Hub. We regret we are not able to respond to requests for specific legal or HR queries and recommend that professional advice is obtained before relying on information supplied anywhere within this article. This article is correct at 03/09/2026