Leave of Absence Letter
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____________, ____________, ____________
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____________, ____________, ____________
Dear: ____________,
Please accept this letter as a formal request for a leave of absence. My leave is ____________, ____________.I am requesting a leave of ____________. The leave will last from ____________.
If my leave of absence is approved, I will need to travel during this time and will be available to assist with any questions .
If my leave of absence is approved, I will need to travel during this time and will be unavailable to assist between the dates of ________ and ________.
____________ .
Please let me know if you have any questions and an appropriate time for us to speak to discuss the terms of my leave of absence.
Sincerely,
________________________
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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
What is a Leave of Absence Letter?
A leave of absence letter is a formal letter that you write to your supervisor to request a leave of absence from work. The formal letter is needed for your personnel file. It gives a written record of the notice you've given your company prior to needing the leave of absence.
Your letter documents the reason for your request. While you can explain your situation in person, a written letter provides the exact explanation of your need for time off. This makes the request easier for your manager or HR person to understand. The letter can be forwarded to other executives within the company, rather than relying on a manager to explain the situation. From a legal standpoint, this formal letter also records your request if your situation falls under situations protected by law, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
When is One Needed?
It's a good policy to write a formal leave of absence letter in any case where you're requesting time off from work that's not covered by the sick days and personal days already granted by the company. Prior to requesting a leave of absence, you should confirm whether that time off should be honored according to the employee handbook or state and federal laws.
The Consequences of Not Using One
Without this letter, there's no record that you requested the leave of absence. For example, you have a verbal conversation with a manager. The manager grants your leave of absence, but doesn't record it anywhere in your employment file or notify other executives. Once your absence extends past the paid time and vacation days you have accrued, you may be automatically terminated by the company. In some companies, there are rules that fall under "no call/no show". This means that an employee who is absent without notice will be penalized. It's possible that you would lose your vacation and sick days, as well as the position, if you didn't follow the protocol of formally writing this letter.
The Most Common Uses
There are many reasons you might wish to take a leave of absence from work. Some of these are covered under law. Some of them may be covered under your company's own policies.
These are a few of the most common reasons why people request a formal leave of absence, such as birth of a child, death in the family, military duty/family member, health reasons, education, or care for ailing family members.
What Should be Included?
Your letter should be concise and clear. There are a few pieces of information which are important to include:
- The Date. The date should be included at the top of the letter.
- Your Information. This includes your name, title or position, your home address, email and phone numbers.
- Your Manager's Information. This shows a record of who the request was made to. It's also the standard way you'd address any letter to an individual.
- The Reason for the Request. This would be a brief explanation about the reason you need time off.
- The Dates of Your Proposed Absence. Your letter should include exact dates.
You may have a discussion with your supervisor about the request prior to writing the leave of absence letter. In that case, you should reference the date of the discussion in the body of the letter.
Many employees write the majority of their correspondence through email. It's fine to send this letter through email and keep the electronic verification of its receipt. The hard copy of the letter makes it more formal.