Yes, you can sometimes rescind or take back a resignation in Canada, especially if you act quickly and your resignation was unclear, impulsive or withdrawn before your employer materially relied on it.
But you do not have an unlimited right to change your mind after quitting. A clear and deliberate resignation can become binding, particularly once your employer has relied on it by taking meaningful steps based on your departure.
If you regret resigning, tell your employer immediately and in writing that you are withdrawing your resignation and intend to remain employed. The longer you wait, the harder it can become to undo the decision.
On This Page:
- 1. Can You Take Back a Resignation?
- 2. When Is a Resignation Binding?
- 3. Impulsive & Emotional Resignations
- 4. What If Your Employer Refuses?
- 5. How to Withdraw Your Resignation
- 6. Ontario, Alberta & BC
Can You Take Back a Resignation After You Quit?
Sometimes. Your ability to withdraw a resignation depends on whether you clearly intended to resign, how quickly you changed your mind and what your employer has done in reliance on your resignation.
Canadian courts require a resignation to be clear and unequivocal. The words you used are important, but they are not considered in isolation. The surrounding circumstances also matter.
Important questions include:
- Did you clearly say or write that you were resigning?
- Did you provide a definite final day?
- Were you calm and deliberate, or reacting emotionally?
- Was your resignation conditional on something else happening?
- How quickly did you try to withdraw it?
- Did your employer tell you that you could reconsider?
- Has your employer materially relied on your resignation?
Can you withdraw a two-week notice?
Yes, you can ask to withdraw a two-week resignation notice, but you should not assume that your employer must always allow you to do so.
If you change your mind shortly after giving notice and your employer has not materially acted on your resignation, your position is stronger. If the resignation was clear, deliberate and has already been relied upon, withdrawing it can be more difficult.
The same principles apply whether you gave two weeks, one month or another amount of resignation notice.
Does your employer have to accept your resignation before it counts?
Do not assume that a resignation has no effect simply because your employer has not formally said, “we accept.”
Employer acceptance can be relevant, but the more important questions are whether you clearly and unequivocally resigned and whether the employer has relied on that decision. If you want to withdraw a resignation, act immediately rather than waiting to see whether your employer formally accepts it.
When Does a Resignation Become Binding?
A resignation is much harder to take back once it clearly reflects your intention to leave and your employer has materially relied on it.
Courts look at the entire situation rather than applying a simple rule based on whether a resignation letter was signed.
Was the resignation clear and unequivocal?
A valid resignation must clearly demonstrate that you intended to end your employment.
For example, this is relatively clear:
“I am resigning from my position. My final day of employment will be October 15.”
Statements such as “maybe I should just quit,” “I can’t do this anymore” or “I’ll leave if nothing changes” can be much more ambiguous when considered in context.
Has your employer relied on your resignation?
What your employer did after receiving the resignation can affect whether you can withdraw it.
Relevant steps can include making commitments based on your departure or materially changing its position because it reasonably understood that you were leaving.
Simply saying that your resignation was “accepted” does not necessarily resolve every dispute. What actually happened afterward matters.
Does hiring a replacement matter?
Yes. Hiring or making a binding commitment to a replacement can be evidence that the employer relied on your resignation.
That is one reason timing matters. Trying to withdraw your resignation the same day or the next morning creates a very different situation from waiting several weeks while your employer reorganizes around your departure.
What If You Resigned in the Heat of the Moment?
An emotional or impulsive statement that you quit is not automatically a legally effective resignation.
Courts look at whether you genuinely intended to resign and whether a reasonable person, looking at your words, actions and the surrounding circumstances, would understand that you clearly intended to leave.
For example, the legal position can be different where an employee:
- Says “I quit” during a heated argument and immediately tries to take it back
- Walks out temporarily after an emotional confrontation
- Makes a vague statement about leaving but never provides a final date
- Conditions the resignation on receiving severance or another agreement
- Quickly clarifies that there was no genuine intention to end employment
An employer should not simply seize on ambiguous words and declare the employment relationship over when the circumstances do not demonstrate a genuine resignation.
What if you walked out of work?
Walking out of the workplace does not automatically mean you resigned.
The circumstances matter. Leaving during an argument and returning or contacting the employer shortly afterward is different from clearing out your belongings, returning company property and communicating that you will never return.
If you did not intend to quit, tell your employer immediately that you remain employed and are prepared to return to work.
What if your resignation was conditional?
A conditional proposal to leave is not necessarily the same as an unconditional resignation.
For example, telling your employer that you are willing to leave if a severance package can be negotiated does not necessarily mean you have agreed to resign for nothing.
Be precise when discussing an exit. If you are proposing a negotiated departure, make clear that you have not resigned unless and until acceptable terms are agreed.
What If Your Employer Refuses to Let You Withdraw Your Resignation?
If your employer refuses to accept your withdrawal, whether your employment can still end as a resignation depends on whether the original resignation was legally effective.
If you clearly and deliberately resigned and the employer properly relied on that decision, it can be difficult to force the employer to keep you employed simply because you changed your mind.
But if the supposed resignation was ambiguous, impulsive, conditional or otherwise not clear and unequivocal, treating you as having quit can amount to an employer-initiated termination.
If that happens, you can have wrongful dismissal and severance rights.
Can you get severance if your employer refuses to take you back?
You can be entitled to severance if the employer ends your employment when there was no legally effective resignation.
That does not mean every rejected request to withdraw a resignation automatically creates a severance claim. The first question is whether you had already validly resigned.
If the employer wrongly treats an unclear or ineffective resignation as the end of your employment, compensation can include the notice or severance you would have received after a termination without cause.
Learn more about severance pay in Canada.
What if you were pressured into resigning?
A resignation caused by employer coercion or serious workplace conduct raises a different issue from simply changing your mind after voluntarily quitting.
If your employer told you to resign, threatened you with dismissal unless you quit or fundamentally changed your employment until you felt forced to leave, the resignation can be a termination or constructive dismissal rather than a true voluntary departure.
See our guide to forced resignation in Canada.
How Do You Withdraw or Rescind a Resignation?
Tell your employer immediately, clearly and in writing that you are withdrawing your resignation and intend to continue working.
If you have changed your mind:
- Act immediately. Do not wait until your scheduled final day.
- Put it in writing. Send an email or letter confirming that you withdraw the resignation.
- Be unequivocal. State clearly that you intend to remain employed.
- Confirm you are available to work. Continue attending work and performing your duties unless told otherwise.
- Keep the evidence. Save your original resignation, withdrawal and the employer’s response.
- Get advice if the employer refuses. The circumstances may determine whether the end of employment is a resignation or a dismissal.
What should a resignation withdrawal say?
A resignation withdrawal should be short, clear and leave no doubt that you want to remain employed.
For example:
“I am writing to withdraw the resignation I provided on [date]. I intend to continue in my position and remain available to perform my regular duties. Please confirm that my withdrawal has been received.”
You do not need to write a lengthy explanation. If there is a dispute about why you resigned or whether you were pressured to leave, get legal advice before sending a detailed account.
Should you keep going to work?
Yes, unless your employer tells you not to attend or you have received legal advice saying otherwise.
If you say you are withdrawing your resignation but then stop showing up, the employer can argue that your actions are inconsistent with an intention to remain employed.
Taking Back a Resignation in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia
The central rule is similar across Ontario, Alberta and BC: a resignation must clearly demonstrate an intention to end employment, and the surrounding circumstances matter.
Provincial employment-standards rules about resignation notice differ, but the common-law dispute over whether you truly resigned is primarily concerned with your intention, your words and conduct, and what happened afterward.
Ontario
Ontario courts require a resignation to be clear and unequivocal. If you are still deciding whether to leave or how much notice to provide, read our guide to notice of resignation in Ontario.
Alberta
Alberta courts also assess whether the employee genuinely intended to resign and whether the circumstances objectively demonstrated that intention. Alberta has separate statutory resignation-notice requirements. Read Notice of Resignation Alberta.
British Columbia
BC courts likewise consider both the employee’s intention and whether their words and actions objectively support a resignation. For the province-specific notice rules, see Notice of Resignation BC.
Rescinding a Resignation: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my mind after resigning?
Sometimes. Act immediately. Your ability to reverse the resignation is stronger where it was unclear or impulsive and your employer has not materially relied on your decision to leave.
Can my employer refuse to let me take back my resignation?
Yes, particularly where you clearly resigned and the employer has already materially relied on your decision. However, if the original resignation was not clear and unequivocal, treating you as having quit can create a wrongful dismissal issue.
Can I withdraw my resignation after my employer accepts it?
Possibly, but the employer’s response and reliance become important. Do not assume that formal acceptance alone decides the issue, or that you have an automatic right to withdraw after acceptance. Have the circumstances reviewed.
Can I withdraw my resignation on my last day?
You can ask, but waiting until your last day can make your position significantly harder. By then, the employer may have made substantial arrangements based on your departure. Withdraw the resignation as soon as you change your mind.
What if I quit during an argument and regret it?
Clarify immediately that you did not intend to resign and want to remain employed. A statement made during an emotional confrontation is assessed in context and is not automatically a binding resignation.
Can my employer say I quit when I never resigned?
An employer cannot simply label your conduct a resignation when you did not clearly intend to end the employment relationship. If your employer says you resigned and you did not, dispute that immediately and in writing.
Get Advice If Your Employer Won’t Let You Withdraw Your Resignation
If you have changed your mind about resigning, speed matters. Tell your employer immediately that you intend to remain employed and keep a written record of the withdrawal.
If your employer refuses, the next question is whether you actually gave a legally effective resignation and whether the employer materially relied on it.
Samfiru Tumarkin LLP helps non-unionized employees in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia determine whether a resignation was valid, whether it can be withdrawn and whether an employer’s refusal creates termination and severance rights.
If you regret resigning, act now rather than waiting for your final day.