Civil resignation letter to boss I hate

[grendel]

I am planning to resign tomorrow after 4 years in my current job because I really can't work with my boss any more and it is making me ill - physically and mentally. I am looking for other jobs and have a second interview lined up, but no actual job offer as yet. If I stay any longer my self-confidence will be at such a low I will hardly be able to drag myself to an interview.

So, I'm going to resign with no job to go to (rash, I know, considering the current jobs market but DH can support me for a little while), I just have to get away.

But what can I put in my resignation letter?
The bald truth of simply saying, "I can't work with you anymore" or "F**k off and die" possibly won't get me the good reference that I will be needing shortly.

Any suggestions for bland, non-commital phrases that I could use would be much appreciated.

It sounds more like constructive dismissal if you feel this way, this is when your work life is made so intolerable, you have no choice but to resign. You have to state this on the letter though. It's an employment tribunal matter as it's classed the same as unlawful dismissal.

Just say 'Dear boss, I am officially resigning from my position of xxxx as of x date and x date will be my last day, signed grendel'
You dont need to say anything fancy, just the facts.

Just be prepared for him/her to ask you why you are leaving and whether you have another job etc and think about what you will say.

I would just say "please accept my resignation, with the holiday I have in hand I calculate my last date will be X".

Leave it bald - hopefully he will read between the lines.

if you are lucky you may be asked for an exit interview with HR (particularly if you DON'T explain why you are leaving in your letter) and can air your concerns then, in confidence.

If you want a bland phrase in hand though, in case he asks you direct, how about saying that your work/life balance would benefit from a break. That leaves the door open for a fuller explanation of why the job has upset your work/life balance, if you choose to give it later.

Ooooh, thanks for the suggestions everyone. My mind just shuts down when I try to think about this.

It's a tiny company and there is no HR department. And my leaving will badly impact the company in the short term, so I expect my boss to be pissed off and get quite shirty.
I'm not going to press for constructive dismissal - although several of my friends have also suggested this - I just want a clean break as quickly as possible.

theyoungvisiter (great name by the way): thanks for the work/life balance angle. I think I can construct something around this idea.