The need to write a leave application letter could arise for several reasons. So your son is ill, and you need to stay home to take care of him. Would management even let you go? How do you get this drafted? Is it not like anybody is allowed to just travel, right?
The truth is, at some point during your employment, you may need to request a leave of absence. The need for absence could be for various reasons ranging from personal or family health problems, the birth and/or adoption of a child, to rest from excessive job stress. It could also be the loss of a loved one or the pursuit of a hobby, or a desire to travel. A leave of absence, in your case, is not a luxury but a necessity.
When an employee seeks a temporary break from their work due to personal reasons, they write a leave application letter or letter of absence to the concerned authority. Writing such a letter shows professionalism on the employee's part and gives adequate time to the team and the employer to prepare. Taking leave without a prior application is much like putting everybody in office in difficulty.
In other words, a leave application is a professional way of asking for a pause from work for a specific period.
There are rules and features essential to include if you are sending a formal leave request: it should be brief, genuine, and should have sufficient details regarding the reason for your absence. The content of your letter of application makes the difference between a "reject" or "approved" resolution from your superior.
There are two types of leave application: letter format or e-mail format, but due to technology and digitization, email format is widely used with almost all sections covered in both forms.
The leave application for office describes an employee's situation of not being able to work at the office for a specific period. They can discuss their problem with the manager or HR to solve it by writing an application.
First of all, employees have to write a letter or email to the superior to make a meeting request to discuss their problem and provide the leave application for acceptance. The leave application format contains the following essential points:
1. The subject (purpose) of the application
Begin your leave application with a clear and concise introduction. State your intention to take leave, the specific dates, and the reason for your leave. Keep this section formal and to the point.
For example:
2. Salutation and the receiver's name
Employees must include the individual's name to whom the letter is addressed.
For example:
3. Reason for taking leave
The reason behind taking leave from the workplace, like any health or family problem or any urgency. It can be maternity or adoption of a child or want relief from work stress etc. Employees can write the leave application in all of these situations.
For example:
4. The number of needed days
It is important to write the particular dates of taking leave from the workplace. That means from which date to till which date they are going to be unavailable at the workplace.
Examples:
5. Work plan during the absence
Employees also write the notes they are going to do for fulfilling their absence. They may give training for their replacement to manage the loss of work. They can write a document, including detailed information on their daily work in it. They may also be available in case of any emergency at the time of their absence at the workplace.
Examples:
6. Contact information
Provide your contact information during your leave, such as your email address or a phone number where you can be reached in case of emergencies. Ensure that you are reachable if necessary.
Example:
You can reach me via email at [Your Email Address] or on my mobile phone at [Your Phone Number] in case of any urgent matters that require my attention.
7. Closing and signature
Employees should sign at the end of the leave application.
Example:
I understand the importance of my role, and I am committed to ensuring a smooth workflow during my absence. I appreciate your understanding and consideration of my request.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Employee ID]
[Your Department]
Review these leave samples, and edit them as you need for your specific need and circumstances. The structure used will be of good use in various situations, and for sure will be a good starting point for starting to write your own leave requests.
Subject: Casual Leave Application
Salutation and the receiver’s name:
Dear Mr./ Mrs. [The receiver’s name]
Reason for taking the leave:
I am writing this application to request three days leave as I have to attend a conference on “Safety Measures at Work” from 2nd to 5th of December.
This is an important conference as I would learn about the new standards and procedures that we could implement in our daily activity.
I know our company's motto is “Zero incidents. Zero Losses”, therefore this conference will help me better understand the legislation, adopt and adapt the standards to the specific activity of our department. The last day of the conference will host a workshop held by four specialists from the Environment Ministry, allowing me to learn from the best.
The number of days:
As this conference is in Bruxelles, I will have to leave on the 1st of December, and I will be resuming office in December, the 6th.
Work plan:
I am positive that my team will fill my place while I’m out of the office.
Contact information:
During my absence, you can reach me via email. I will be grateful to you for considering the present leave of application.
Signature:
Sincerely,
[The applicant’s name]
When writing a leave application in a letter to your manager or your supervisor, there are a few sections that must be included. Following this structure will lead to effective formatting and ensure you don't miss essential elements of your leave application. By doing so, you're also maximizing your chance of getting the request approved.
Subject: Vacation Leave Application
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
I am hereby requesting your approval for a ten-day leave for my planned trip to Kenya with my husband and child.
I am writing this letter to formally notify you about my leaves from [start date] to [end - date]. I will join office from Monday, i.e., on [date].
I will update you with the final draft this week, and before I go, you will have the final version on your desk. You can contact (colleague name) in my absence as she is aware of the same. I can be reached at the email address and phone number (contact number) in case of any queries.
I hope you will acknowledge my application and process it the earliest.
Thank you
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
You can use this template for a 2 or more days leave application for office. Additionally, if you are looking to download a Vacation request form to print, we have it available for you.
Subject: Maternity Leave Application
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
I am writing you this letter to submit my request regarding the maternity leave for three months, from [start date] to [end date].
As I will be away for a continued long period, I have assigned my duties and responsibilities to my colleague [the colleague’s name], and I am confident he/ she will handle my work for 90 days. In case of any difficulty, you can reach out to me at my number.
I have attached the certificate from my doctor with all the details you need to know.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
[Applicant’s Name]
Subject: Annual Leave Application
Dear Mr./Ms. [Recipient’s Name],
I write to inform you that I will be traveling with my family for a period of one month, between [start date] and [end date]. Since my entire quota of annual leave sanctioned by the company is pending, I request you to adjust my leaves accordingly.
Following my earlier discussion with my team lead, I have requested my colleague, Mr./ Ms. [enter your colleague name] agreed to take over my assignments while I am on leave. She/he has all the details regarding my tasks and has agreed to back me up during this period.
During the days of my absence from office, I can be reached at [email address].
I will return to the office on [date]. In case I want to resume the work sooner or later than the stated date, I will let you know well in advance. I will be grateful for a positive reply to my leave request.
Thanks and regards,
[Your Name]
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Subject: Paternity Leave Application
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
I hereby inform you that my wife is in the final stage of her pregnancy, the due date is fast approaching.
Since this will be our first baby, I am way too excited to see my child and desire to be with her during the delivery and a couple of weeks after, so I request you to grant me leave for 30 days, beginning from the [date].
I have transferred the important duties to my associate [name of the person], and he/ she will look after the tasks until I get back to work. Also, during the entire period, I will be available on my phone or via email for any matter.
Being a parent yourself, I am sure you understand my situation and authorize my paternity leave as soon as possible.
Thanks and regards,
[Your Name]
Subject: Sick Leave Application
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
I want to bring to your kind attention that I am suffering from critical back pain, and my doctor has suggested taking through rest for five days initially. The doctor also recommended going for an MRI scan and a week of physiotherapy sessions and other medications.
I am not aware of my future possibilities for leave as the situation is based on how much rest I can take.
I request you to please grant me leave for five days, i.e., from [starting date] to [end-date], for a speedy recovery of my lower back. Also, let me know if any further clarifications are required for the case. I am attaching my medical certificate along with this email.
I can be contacted at [email address] and on [phone number] for any queries or emergencies. Besides, I have explained the tasks to [colleague name] to be taken care of in my absence.
Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
If you are looking for a simple copy-paste Sick Leave Email or Letter to print, we have them available for you.
Subject: Leave Application due to the illness of a close family member
Dear Mr./Mrs. [Recipient’s Name],
I am writing this letter to let you know about my requirement for an important and unexpected leave. This is because of an emergency in the family: my brother has been diagnosed with cancer. I will be quickly heading to the hospital to be with her and look after the family.
I plan to return to work next week on [date]. I submitted you the most urgent project, and I feel confident that my other projects will not suffer from such a quick absence. As you know, my work record speaks for itself as much as my ability to make up for the lost time.
I appreciate your support in this matter and anticipate hearing a response from you.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Subject: Leave application due to the death of a close family member
Dear Mr./Mrs. [Recipient’s Name],
I am writing this letter to inform you about the unexpected passing away of my dearest aunt today. I intend to leave tonight and be out of town for the funeral and related arrangements until [date].
I request you to grant me seven days of emergency leaves because of such circumstances.
I am confident that my current unfinished tasks will not be negatively affected by this absence.
Once I return to the office on [date], I hope I will be able to concentrate on my work much more effectively.
Thank you for your support.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Subject: Leave application for my wedding
Dear Mr./ Mrs. [Name of the superior],
I’m writing to you to request some time off as I am getting married on the [DD/MM/YYYY]. I would like to apply for a leave from 01/05/2024 to 01/06/2024 (1 month) to prepare a perfect celebration for entering this new phase of our lives.
Attached to this email, you can find the invitation I would like to extend to all my colleagues.
I will do my best to meet my deadlines by 28/04/2024 and give a proper handover to my associate [Name of the colleague] to take care of any urgency in my absence.
I hope you will accept my request and grant me leaves for the said dates. Looking forward to your positive reply.
Regards,
[Your name]
Subject: Request for emergency leave
Dear [Manager's Name],
I am writing to request an emergency leave of absence from [Start Date] to [End Date]. Unfortunately, I have recently experienced a family emergency requiring immediate attention and presence.
I understand that my absence will cause inconvenience to the team, and I apologize for any disruption it may cause. I trust you understand that this situation is beyond my control, and I must attend to my family's needs at this time.
I have spoken with my colleagues to ensure that all my current projects and responsibilities are covered during my absence. I will also be reachable by email and phone in case of any urgent matters that require my attention.
I hope to return to work as soon as possible and will keep you updated on my situation throughout my leave. Thank you for your understanding and support during this difficult time.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Subject: Leave application for [Date]
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
This is to inform you that I will need a day off on [Date]. On that day, my husband and I are invited to our son’s graduation, and as you probably know, this is a special event, and it cannot be missed.
I will leave everything in order, and also I have explained the task that may occur during my absence to [name of colleague], and you can contact her in case of any need.
Please feel free to contact me on my number [telephone number] in case of any urgency or queries.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Subject: Half day leave application
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
I would like to inform you that I will not be available in the [Morning/Afternoon]/[From hour to hour] of [Date]. I would like to notify you that it so appears that my father is traveling to see me, and I must receive him at the airport. There is no one else in town to pick him up. I ensure that my tasks for the day will be finished by then. I would be available by phone if there is any urgency. Thank you for accepting my request.
Yours truly,
[Your Name]
Subject: Two days leave request
Dear [Manager’s Name],
As discussed yesterday, I would like to request approval for 2 days of leave from [Date] to [Date]. I have to solve some paperwork for my family, and this requires a bit of time durring the working hours. I have already discussed with [insert name] to back me up, and call me in case of any help is needed in my absence.
Please let me know if you need any additional information. Thank you for considering my application for approval.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Subject: Five day leave application
Dear [Manager’s Name],
As discussed durring the weekly meeting, I would like to request approval for 5 days of leave from [Date] to [Date] due to personal reasons. I trust you understand my situation and grant me leave for 5 days. I will return to work on [Date].
I'll be reachable on my mobile if there is ever an emergency work situation.
Thank you for considering my application for approval.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
We provide also some examples of leave of absence letters: Medical leave of absence - 1 month, Leave of absence - personal reasons - 10 days, Leave of absence - personal reasons - 1 week.
Additionally, if you're looking for a general use leave application form, where employees can request multiple types of absences (vacation, medical, jury duty, personal, family, voting, bereavement, time off without pay) we are offering it to you for download in word format.
Moreover, if you are looking to setup your out of office message, we have some tips.
4. Conclusion
On the whole, a leave application letter should contain a valid reason for your leave, which should convince the employer and make him/ her grant you leave.
Suppose you are having a reasonable enough claim for a leave application. In that case, your request will not be declined without any justification, mainly when it is due to some personal reasons, could be an illness, urgent piece of work or for visiting sick parents, etc.
Most importantly, the leave application should not sound friendly or casual; rather, it must be formal and professionally-written.
At the end of this article, I hope you know much more about why, how, and when to write an application letter. There are various online tools and software with samples, HR templates, and examples of HR documents. We would like to point out the LeaveBoard, an cloud-based HR software for small businesses, that can help with registering, tracking, planning for your employee leave applications.
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