Are you trying to figure out how to draft a letter requesting permission to be away from work? If your answer is Yes!, then this post is for you. In this article, you will be provided with thorough instructions on how to prepare a sample letter of authorization to be absent from work.
The most important thing to remember when creating a letter of permission to be absent from work is to keep it professional. It should also be written in acceptable corporate terminology, be succinct, and go straight to the point. Avoid making mistakes when writing a letter. In addition, you should utilize good language and punctuation. Your text should clarify why you’re taking time off from work, when you will be back and to whom you will delegate your obligations. Before you compose your letter, double-check for any corporate standards or regulations. Companies will usually accept a brief formal excuse letter, if you notify them ahead of time that you will be away.
These letters are simple to compose and shouldn’t take you longer than 40 minutes to complete. We’ll go over some letter-writing etiquette, the stages to drafting a professional excuse letter, and provide some sample excuse letter templates.
Template for Writing Letter of Permission to Be Absent from Work
The format of the permission letter is standard or typical. This, however, may differ based on your company’s rules and practices. A captivating piece of content written in a professional tone is a must. This is how you should style your letter:
Please include your contact information: This is essentially your address and, if applicable, your phone number.
Date: It’s the date on which you’re writing the letter.
Contact Information for the Recipient: This is the address of the person who will receive your letter. Because you’re writing to your bosses, you may not need to mention their address but you can include your office address.
Subject: The subject line is where you may state the letter’s objective. Make it as short as possible, at most, eight words and they should be bold or underlined.
Salutation: Commonly known as a greeting, the salutation begins with Dear Sir/Madame or the name of the receiver.
Body: It includes pertinent information about why you’re writing the letter, when you would want to be absent and a request for permission.
Closure: Your signature and name should also be included in the closing of the letter.
You may not need to give all of the information above in some circumstances. It’s possible that your name, the person to whom you’re writing the letter, the dates, the body, the content, and the conclusion will be enough.
In this article, we would also be mentioning some tips you need to keep in mind while drafting a “letter of absence”.
Tips for Writing a Letter of Absence From Work
You may use a template and keep the text brief and sweet, just like any other professional letter. Employers don’t need a full essay explaining why you have to skip work, but they do want the essentials. These letters are just to inform your supervisor of when and why you will be unavailable. Here are some pointers on how to write a solid job-related absence letter.
Maintain Your Professional Demeanor: You don’t have to tell everyone where you’ll be or what you’ll be doing while you’re away from work. Because these letters are frequently filed for future reference, it’s best to make them brief and sweet.
Prepare Your Letter as soon as Feasible: The more advance warning you provide for your absence letter, the better. They’ll have more time to sort out what needs to be done before, during, and after your absence with you and your coworkers.
Don’t Abuse Your Leave: Of course, some employees require time off, but that doesn’t imply you should write an excuse letter every week or extend your absence beyond the required time frame. Before you compose and mail your excuse letter, you should consider your reason for leaving. If you take many leaves of absence, you’re more likely to have a chat with your manager if you’re gone all the time.
Make Contact with Your Work Team: Before you prepare your letter, consult with your colleagues to see who can cover your job if anything has to be done while you’re away. This will not only make you appear like a proactive employee, but it will also make you feel better while you’re gone knowing that your responsibilities are being taken care of.
Learn about Your Company’s Vacation Policy: Some businesses distinguish between excused and unjustified absences. Make sure you’re leaving work for a legitimate cause when you submit your absence letter. Pre-planned activities such as doctor’s visits, religious holidays, jury duty, or assisting direct family members may be deemed excused absences, depending on your employer.
Ensure you allow enough time for your coworkers to contact you: Even if you’re not in the office, your business continues to operate. You should give your teammates a means to contact you (by phone, text or email) as well as general response times. Although it’s unlikely that your coworkers will need to call you, it’s always a good idea to be prepared and give this regardless.
Please Provide Your Assistance: Make sure to add concrete ways you can assist your team while you’re away in your letter, or volunteer to explore methods to assist. Before you depart, your boss and co-workers will show some appreciation towards your flexibility and helpfulness.
Explain Why You Were Unexpectedly Absent: We are mostly talking about how to prepare a letter of absence or excuse for scheduled absences. However, if anything unexpected occurs and you are unable to report to work, you should send a note as soon as possible. If you follow up on an unexpected leave with a formal letter stating why you were out and how you plan to make up the work you missed, it will show you in a positive light to your bosses.
Now, we have given you all the tips, format for writing a letter of excuse to be absent from work and things you need to keep in mind when writing such a letter. We are now going to give you different samples of letters of permission (excuses) to be absent from work.
Reasons for Being Absent From Work or Meeting
You cannot wake up one morning and feel like not going to work without having cogent reasons for not resuming at your place of work because your absence could cause a lot of damage to your reputation and workflow at your work place. While it’s important to be honest and transparent with your employer, I understand that there might be situations where you need a plausible excuse. Stated below are possible reasons you must include in your letter of permission to be absent from work or meeting please use them responsibly and sparingly:
- Illness: This is the most popular reason stated in most letters of permission to be absent from work. Claiming you are ill can give you few days off depending on the level of illness. Here be mindful not to abuse this excuse, and only use it when you genuinely need to recover or when you’re contagious to prevent spreading any illnesses.
- Family emergency: Using this excuse, the reason must be very valid because your employer could wonder if without you, it could not be done by any other family member? For example, a sudden and unexpected family emergency, such as a relative’s hospitalization or an accident, can be a very valid reason for being absent. Make sure to communicate the urgency and provide any necessary documentation if required.
- Car trouble: This is for car owners. If your car breaks down along the road or an unexpected repairs comes up, you can use that as a reasonable excuse, especially if commuting to work is not possible without a functioning vehicle. Be prepared to provide photos or any evidence of payments made to get your car back running.
- Inclement weather: Bad weather conditions can also be used as a valid reason for missing work. Severe weather conditions that make it unsafe or impossible to commute can justify an absence from work.
- Home maintenance or repair: Unforeseen home maintenance issues like plumbing leaks, electrical problems, or a broken appliance that needs your immediate attention and may justify taking a day off to resolve the situation.
- Bereavement: No one wants to lose a loved one, especially family and close friends. Using this as a means of taking a day or 2 off work is very potent. The loss of a loved one or attending a funeral can be a legitimate reason for being absent from work. Employers generally understand and provide bereavement leave for employees to grieve and attend memorial services.
- Childcare issues: Though cases like this are rare, however, you can still use this as a valid reason in your letter of excuse from work. For example, when regular childcare arrangements fall through, leaving you unable to find alternative care for your child, it can be difficult to attend work and most employers can relate with this emergency. All you need do is to communicate the situation to your line head and discuss potential solutions.
- Legal obligations: When you are served a letter to appear before the court of law, it is a punishable offence to disobey. If you have to appear in court for jury duty, as a witness, or for any other legal obligations, your absence is typically protected by law, so your employer has no choice than to equally obey. It is your responsibility to communicate on time to your Boss and provide the necessary documentation to support your absence if required.
- Personal appointments: This also is rarely used but when it is called into use, ensure you notify your departmental head or the appropriate authority on time. Non-urgent personal appointments, such as dentist visits, medical check-ups, or therapy sessions, can require time off. Schedule these appointments outside of work hours whenever possible, or communicate your need for a brief absence.
- Pre-planned vacation or travel: Everyone needs time off the pedal at some points. Informing your employer well in advance about planned vacations or travel is the best approach to this reason for your absence from work. Ensure it aligns with your company’s vacation policy and request the time off accordingly.
- Professional Examination: This is another cogent reason to be absent from work. Informing your Boss about a professional examination on a certain date(s) will definitely be approved because most companies grant study leave to encourage staff develop their careers while working. Just ensure you include the date of your exam and when you will be available to resume.
With the above, you can sure get your letter of permission to be absent from work approved by your Boss. Now let’s go through the various samples of excuse letter from work.
11 Sample Letters of Permission To Be Absent from Work
The permission letter template below can be used to persuade your managers to allow you time off work. Make a list of what should be included, as well as the terminology that will be utilized. The focus of your letter should be on your specific cause for being absent from work.
1)
To,
The Human Resources Manager
_____________(Name of the Company)
______________ (Address)
Date: __ /__ /____ (Date)
Subject: Letter of Permission required for ________ (reason) on ______ (Include the date)
Respectfully, my name is _____________ (Name) and I work in _____________ (Department) of your _______________ (Organization/Institution/Ministry). My ID number is __________ (Employee ID).
I am writing to request permission to be absent from work on / / (Date) for the purpose of (Traveling/visiting family) (Also, give a good reason why your permission should be granted), for which I have previously applied on / / and it is awaiting your approval. Please grant my request for permission to be absent from work.
I regret any inconvenience my absence may cost the office. However, I have delegated all my outstanding duties to my colleague and any other duties that may come up in my absence. I would also be available on my phone line to help out, in any way that I can.
I respectfully await your earnest response on this matter. And, I would be grateful for your positive response.
Yours Thankfully,
—————(Name)
—————-( Signature)
—————- (Contact Number)
2)
Finances, Liam
P.O. BOX 123456, P.O. BOX 12
Plot 246, Garki
Abuja, Nigeria
Joseph Yomi
Head of the Department of Auditing,
Finances, Liam
27th of August, 2024
Dear Madam,
REF: Permission to be Absent from Work
I am writing to ask for permission to miss work on August 29, 2020. I intend to return to work on September 14, 2023. The reason for the absence is to attend the Annual Audit Conference 2020 in Calabar. The meeting is part of the company’s standard operating process for training department leaders on new regulatory, reporting, and disclosure standards.
I will be gone for 14 days, and I will be back at work on September 15, 2020. While I would be away, I have assigned all my responsibilities to my Assistant Stephen Orjiakor.
Thank you for your consideration.
Yours Sincerely,
Esma Diem
————-Signature line
3)
Chukwu John
No 4 Behind first Inland,
Gwarimpa,
Abuja.
24th July 2023
Ministry of Labour and Interior
No 16 Ministry of Labour House,
Office of the PA to the President.
Dear ma,
Please accept this letter as an official leave of absence request. My application for a sick leave is as a result of malaria fever and low blood pressure. I am requesting a two-day leave. The leave will last from 16th July 2024 to 17th July 2024.
During my time of leave, I will be able to answer any questions about my work done.
Sincerely
Chukwu John (Name)
.—————(Signature)
An Example of A Comprehensive Permission Letter
Some permission letters are short and sweet, while others are lengthy. However, just because you want to write more, you shouldn’t create a letter too long. Rather, be certain that you cover all of the bases as to why you will be absent from work.
4)
John Smith
Sales Associate
Number 1 Company
123 Main St
City, State 12345
October 21, 2020
Mary Williams
Director of Sales
Number 1 Company
100 Company Rd
City, State 12345
Dear Mrs Williams,
Request for Leave of Absence for a Medical Procedure
Please take this letter as my official leave of absence. As I previously stated, I will be undergoing a minor procedure on Friday, October 30. For your convenience, I have included a copy of my doctor’s note. Both Friday, October 30th, and Monday, November 2nd, I anticipate being away from the office.
Joan Anderson has agreed to cover the weekly reports that I am responsible for preparing after I spoke with my team. At the end of each day, Bill Doe will check in with me and pass along any urgent tasks that I need to complete.
Thank you for your patience, and please let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist you while I’m away from the office.
Best regards,
Signature
John Smith
5)
Emma Olivia September 22, 2020
Head of Human Resources
Liam Finances
P.O. BOX 123456,
Accra, Ghana
Esma Diem,
Software Development Assistant
Dear Sir,
REQUEST FOR TIME OFF FROM WORK
As you must be aware, I have been improving the company’s software systems in order to accommodate the introduction of new items, changes in customer feedback, and wage modifications. However, due to a lack of data, it has been unable to affect improvements in customer feedback. I’ve decided that gathering statistics on how customers engage with our website and other feedback channels is vital.
This request is based on the requirement for information. I’d like to request permission to be absent from work from January 12 to January 17, 2020. The goal is to gather useful data from clients that will help me design a software application that will make things easier for our customers to have a conversation with our feedback system
I am also requesting that your office provide me with a variety of resources and logistics, such as transportation, a cell phone, pens, and writing supplies. The resources will aid in ensuring that the data obtained is accurate.
Your permission to work on this critical task would be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Esma Diem,
(Signature)
Sample 6: Examination Reason
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State]
[Date]
[Supervisor’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[City, State.]
Subject: Request for Permission to be Absent from Work
Dear [Supervisor’s Name],
I hope this letter meets you well. I am writing to formally request your permission for my absence from work due to my exam slated on January 31, 2024.
I understand that my absence may require additional coordination and effort from the team, and I am committed to minimizing any inconvenience caused. I will ensure that all pending work is either completed or appropriately delegated before my absence.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample 7: Traditional Wedding Ceremony
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State.]
[Date]
[Supervisor’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[City, State.]
Subject: Request for Permission to be Absent from Work
Dear [Supervisor’s Name],
I would like to request a day off on [Date(s)] to attend a family traditional wedding ceremony. This event holds significant cultural and personal importance to me.
Upon resumption, I will put in extra efforts to cover up for lost grounds.
I would be grateful for your understanding in granting me this leave.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample 8: Religious Holiday
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State.]
[Date]
[Supervisor’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[City, State.]
Subject: Request for Permission to be Absent from Work
Dear [Supervisor’s Name],
I am seeking your permission to be absent from work on [Date(s)] to observe the religious holiday of [Name of Holiday]. This occasion is a vital part of my faith and requires my presence at the place of worship and participation in religious rituals.
Kindly grant me this leave and I will be grateful.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample 9: Medical Appointment
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State.]
[Date]
[Supervisor’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[City, State.]
Subject: Request for Permission to be Absent from Work
Dear [Supervisor’s Name],
I would like to request a day off on [Date(s)] to accompany a close family member for a medical appointment. It is essential for me to provide support and assistance during this time, and I will ensure that any urgent work matters are appropriately delegated or handled before my absence.
I would be most grateful if my absence request is granted as a I look forward to your favorable response
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample 10: Professional Development Conference
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State.]
[Date]
[Supervisor’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[City, State.]
Subject: Request for Permission to be Absent from Work
Dear [Supervisor’s Name],
I am writing to request your permission to be absent from work on [Date(s)] to attend a professional development conference related to my field of expertise. This conference presents an excellent opportunity for me to enhance my knowledge, network with industry professionals, and bring valuable insights back to our organization.
Looking forward to your positive response.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Sample 11: Family Vacation
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State.]
[Date]
[Supervisor’s Name]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[City, State.]
Subject: Request for Permission to be Absent from Work
Dear [Supervisor’s Name],
I am seeking your permission for a planned vacation from [Start Date] to [End Date]. This break has been meticulously planned in advance, and I will make all necessary arrangements to ensure that my absence does not disrupt workflow. I assure you that I will complete any pending tasks and provide clear instructions to colleagues for smooth operations during my absence.
Thank you for your understanding and consideration. I remain fully dedicated to my responsibilities and will make every effort to ensure a seamless workflow during my absence. If there are any specific procedures or forms that need to be completed, kindly let me know, and I will promptly fulfill the requirements.
I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your positive response. Please feel free to contact me should you require any further information or clarification.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
In conclusion, employers are usually more than happy to accommodate employees’ leave requests provided they are submitted professionally and considerately. In this case, writing them a permission letter for a leave of absence is a viable option. The employee follows the proper structure for their letter and presents a compelling justification for needing the time off.
This article has covered everything workers need to know about sample permission letters to be absent from work, how leave letter samples you can use as well as considerations to make when requesting leave from work in order to increase the likelihood of approval from your employer.
