A letter of excuse is a written document that explains a person’s absence from work, school, or any other scheduled appointment. It is usually written by the absent person to provide an explanation for their absence and to request that they be excused for the time they missed.
In the case of work, a letter of excuse is usually required by the employer to document and verify the reason for the absence. It helps the employer to maintain an accurate record of employee attendance and ensures that the absent employee is not penalized for their absence.
A letter of excuse can be due to various reasons such as illness, a family emergency, a personal matter, or other unforeseen circumstances. It should be written professionally and should include a clear explanation of the reason for the absence and the duration of the absence.
Letter of excuse from work or meeting is regarded as a norm in the work place. When we are unable to attend work or meetings due to unforeseen circumstances oftentimes beyond our control, it is critical to write an excuse letter. This type of apology letter expresses our regret as well as the reason for our inability to attend work or meetings. It is possible to write an excuse letter if you are unable to attend a meeting or work due to illness, or other reasons.
Template Letter of Excuse From Work
Formal Excuse Letter Template:
[Your Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Today’s Date]
[Employer’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
Dear [Employer’s Name],
I am writing to formally request an excuse from work for [insert date(s)] due to [insert reason]. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and assure you that I will make up for any missed work.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Medical Excuse Letter Template:
[Your Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Today’s Date]
[Employer’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
Dear [Employer’s Name],
I am writing to inform you that I am unable to come to work today due to medical reasons. I have been advised by my doctor to take [insert number] days off work to recover from [insert medical condition]. I will provide a doctor’s note upon my return.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Family Emergency Excuse Letter Template:
[Your Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Today’s Date]
[Employer’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
Dear [Employer’s Name],
I regret to inform you that I will be unable to come to work today due to a family emergency. [Insert family member’s name] has been hospitalized and I need to attend to their urgent medical needs. I will keep you updated on the situation and make up for any missed work.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Personal Excuse Letter Template:
[Your Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Today’s Date]
[Employer’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
Dear [Employer’s Name],
I am writing to request an excuse from work for [insert date(s)] due to personal reasons. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and assure you that I will make up for any missed work.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Jury Duty Excuse Letter Template:
[Your Name]
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Today’s Date]
[Employer’s Name]
[Company Name] \
[Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]
Dear [Employer’s Name],
I am writing to inform you that I have been summoned for jury duty on [insert date(s)] and will be unable to come to work. I will provide documentation from the court to confirm my service and make up for any missed work.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Below are excusing letter samples that can be used if you need to write a formal letter to miss work or a meeting.
Sample Letters of Excuse from Work
SAMPLE 1
The Human Resource Manager
Adax Global Limited
Abuja
Dear Sir/Ma
Letter of Excuse for Food Poisoning
I am writing to let you know that I will not be able to report to work today due to food poisoning. As a result of this, I have been vomiting nonstop since last night, and I will not be able to come to work today.
I respectfully request that you consider my situation and grant me today’s sick leave. I will be available by email and phone in the event of a work-related emergency.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
James Ruben
SAMPLE 2
From:
Susan Bach
54, Agro Area,
Apo Street
Abuja
Date: June 27th, 2021
To,
William Akor
HR Manager
Waps Technologies
Abuja
Dear Mr. William,
I am writing to express my regret for being absent from work from June 27th to June 31st, 2021. Due to severe stomach pains, I was admitted to the hospital on the night of June 26th, 2021.
I have been diagnosed with a serious stomach infection, and the doctor has advised that I stay on antibiotics and be monitored for the next three days. Despite the fact that I will be in the hospital for three days, I will be able to take calls in the event of any work-related emergencies. I informed my team leader about it, and I also informed my colleague, Ms. Susan Abe, about the project’s important details.
I have done my best to make all of the necessary arrangements to ensure that the work does not suffer while I am away. Please let me know if you require any additional assistance from my end.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Susan Bach
SAMPLE 3
From:
Monica Jacobs
68 Road
Idanre Street, Abuja
October 26th, 2019
To,
Mr. James Agor
Marketing Manager
Pearlwort Hotels
St. Rose Street
Port Harcourt
Application for One Week Leave
Dear Mr James,
I wish to request a week off from work from November 5th to November 11th, 2019 to attend my sister’s wedding in Lagos on November 10th, 2019. Since the wedding will not be happening in Port Harcourt, I will have to travel to Dubai where the wedding will take place and will not be able to come into the office for seven days.
Even though I will not be in town, I will be available at all times. In the event of an emergency, you can always contact me by phone or email, and I will be happy to assist you.
I am hoping that you will approve my leave request.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Monica Jacobs
SAMPLE 4
From:
Monica Jacobs
68 Road
Idanre Street, Abuja
October 26th, 2019
To,
Mr James Agor
Marketing Manager
Pearlwort Hotels.
St. Rose Street
Port Harcourt
Application for One Day Leave
Dear Mr Jacob,
I am writing to request your permission to take a leave on October 30th, 2019. After a long wait, I have finally been able to schedule an appointment with renowned surgeon Dr Smiler Gabon for October 30th, 2019 at 12 p.m. to operate on my wife. This appointment is extremely important, and I will need one day off to attend it.
Despite the fact that I will be on leave, I will be available by phone at all times. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the event of an emergency.
Thanking you in advance.
Sincerely,
Richard Brown
SAMPLE 5
To,
Ms Judith Aba
Class Teacher
Day Spring Kids School
Abuja
February 2, 2012
Dear M.s Judith,
Leave of absence from school
I am writing to request that you grant my son John Perry, who is enrolled in your nursery class, a week of leave.
John’s father was admitted to the hospital the day before yesterday after a serious accident. He is scheduled to have surgery the next day and the entire recuperation process will take at least a week. John would be unable to attend school during this time because the entire family will be occupied in the hospital, and no one will be able to look after him, get him ready for school or bring him back from school.
As a result, I respectfully request that you grant him a week’s leave beginning today, February 4, 2012.
Yours sincerely,
Jacqueline Perry.
SAMPLE 6
From
Cynthia Peter
SSS 3
25 January 2012
To
Mr Peter Martin
Principal
Unique Secondary School
London
Dear Mr Martin,
My name is Cynthia Peter, I am in SSS 3A. I am writing because I will not be able to attend class tomorrow. I am sick with a cold and flu, so my doctor has advised me to stay in bed as much as possible to speed up my recovery. For the same reason, I will not be able to attend school, I regret that I will not be able to participate in the test scheduled for tomorrow. However, I would be grateful if you could conduct it again for my benefit. If that is not possible, I understand the concern and am willing to forego the grades in exchange.
Please consider my request.
Yours faithfully,
Cynthia Peter
SAMPLE 7
John Holmes
13th April 2012
To,
Betty Brown
Personnel Manager,
Stach Logistics,
Abuja
Dear Betty,
Re. Leave of Absence
I am writing to let you know that I will be out of the office for ten days starting April 13th, 2012. As I previously stated, I will be undergoing minor surgery on April 15, 2012, which will necessitate at least ten days of complete rest.
At the moment, I am working on three major projects with Divine Lamp Incorporation, Lancashire Limited and SwissPro Associates. I have delegated my responsibilities to Monica Agwu, a member of my team who is familiar with projects and will handle them with ease. I will be available by phone after the initial two-day period in which I will be sedated and completely restrained.
I am going to re-join the team and get back to work on April 24th
Yours sincerely,
John Holmes
SAMPLE 8
From
Davies Brown
Victory World Limited,
Abuja
11th September 2012
To,
Steve Jacob
Managing Director,
Victory World Limited,
Abuja
Dear Mr Steve,
Re. Paternity Leave
I am writing to request two weeks of statutory paternity leave and another two weeks of unpaid leave until my parents can visit my wife and our new child. As I previously stated, my wife is pregnant and is in the final month of her pregnancy, so she is very close to giving birth to our first child.
I would like to apply for paternity leave to begin as soon as her baby is born. At this time, it is not possible for me to confirm the exact delivery date.
I will start working again as soon as the four weeks are up. I am grateful that you recognized my situation and took my application into consideration.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Davies Brown
SAMPLE 9
From
Davies Brown
Victory World Limited
Abuja
11th September 2012
To,
Steve Jacob
Managing Director
Victory World Limited
Abuja
Dear Mr Steve,
I am writing to let you know that I will not be able to come to work from January 20th to January 31st, 2021 because I will be having eye surgery on January 20th.
I have been diagnosed with cataracts, which will require surgery, and according to the doctor’s recommendations, I will need to keep my eyes away from computer screens and sunlight for a few days. Beginning January 21st, 2021, I will be available by phone for any work-related issues. I have also spoken with Mr Adam Anthony, one of my colleagues, about handling any communication from my end so that the work can continue uninterrupted.
I have made all of the necessary arrangements on my end, but if you require any additional assistance while I am away, please let me know.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Davies Brown
SAMPLE 10
The Human Resource Manager
Henritch Consulting Group
E3B 5H1 Canada Fredericton, New Brunswick
Dear Rachel,
I am writing to you with great regret to inform you of the reason for my absence from work on May 15, 2019. I had a severe headache when I woke up in the morning, and I passed out after a while. I was not in a fit state to return to work when I regained consciousness.
But this weekend, I am more than willing to make up for the loss. I am going to keep myself free all day. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Joe Watson
SAMPLE 11
HR Manager
Zenith Technologies
Abuja
Dear Mr Sani,
I am writing to let you know that due to a foot injury sustained in an accident on my way back from work yesterday, I will not be able to work from January 18th to January 28th, 2021.
The doctor has ordered one week of bed rest for me to recover from the injury before I can return to work. In the meantime, I will be available by phone and email to answer any work-related questions. I also spoke with Mr. Charles Holmes, one of my colleagues. He will look after all of my work while I am away and keep me updated on the progress.
Though I have taken every precaution to ensure that the work does not suffer as a result of my absence, if any additional assistance is required from my end, please contact me.
Thanking you in advance.
Sincerely,
Anita Brown
SAMPLE 12
From,
Susan Bach
Marketing Manager
Trojan Technologies
Abuja
February 4th, 2021
To,
Mr Brian Sepp
Manager
Honka Hardware
Abuja
Dear Mr Brian,
I am writing to request permission to miss the meeting on February 3rd, 2021, which was scheduled for this morning. I will be unable to attend the meeting due to a road accident that occurred on National Highway-32, causing a major traffic jam that is taking a long time to clear. I have been waiting for four hours for the traffic to clear, and it does not appear that it will anytime soon.
I am hoping you will be understanding of my situation. If it is okay with you, I would like to join the meeting online or have it moved to another day.
Looking forward to your response.
Regards,
Susan Bach
SAMPLE 13
From,
Rose Smith
54, Light Street
London
March 2nd, 2022
To,
Mr Mathew Page
HR Manager
Zanies Technologies
London
Sub: Extension of Maternity Leave
Dear Mr Mathew,
I am Susan Smith of the procurement department, and I am writing to request a maternity leave extension for my maternity leave which will expire on March 25th, 2022.
I believe I am not physically or mentally capable of returning to work, and I am confident that I will not be able to give my job my full attention.
If you could please approve my request, I would be extremely grateful. I promise to return to work as soon as possible, with the same vigour and dedication as before.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely
Susan Smith
SAMPLE 14
The Human Resource Manager,
Brandon Technology
Abuja
30th April 2023
Dear Ma,
I am writing to kindly request to be absent from work from Thursday 12th June to Friday 20th June. This is to enable me to travel to attend to some family matters.
During this period, I hope to keep in touch and deliver on all tasks assigned to me.
My sincere apologies for the short notice.
Thank you for your usual understanding and consideration.
Best Regards,
John Njoku
Note that this excuse letter sample can be customized to meet your specific needs. All that matters is that you read carefully and tweak an of the sample letter of excuse from meetings or work to suit your purpose.
