Once in a while we all need to take some time off work to handle some personal issues. Whenever this happens, you will be required to write a leave of absence letter or email.  On this site we have tried to make the process of writing your leave of absence letter or email as easy as possible. There are various components that make up any formal letter. The leave of absence letter is not exempted from these components and I hope you find inspiration to write your leave of absence letter here.

Leave of Absence Letter Samples

What is a Leave of Absence Letter?

A leave of absence letter is a formal document written by an employee to his or her employer requesting for time off work, to deal with certain personal matters. There are various reasons why an employee would need to write a leave of absence letter. Here are a few of the most popular leave letters.

Vacation Leave Letter

 

Woman on vacation leaveThis a letter written to apply for a vacation leave. This is also known as annual leave. Most companies have policies that give their workers a specified number of days of work every year for vacation. To officially apply for a vacation leave or annual leave you would need to write a vacation leave letter.

Sick Leave Letter

If you as an employer fall ill or have any form of health challenge that makes it impossible or unwise to go to work, you will need to take sick leave. For this purpose, you will need to write a sick leave letter or a sick leave email. When writing a sick leave letter, it is always wise to be aware of what the companies policy on sick leaves are.

Maternity Leave Letter

pregnant woman - maternity leave

A maternity leave is the time a woman takes off from work in other to prepare for the delivery of her baby. It is available for any pregnant employee or one who is in the process of adopting a child. In most organizations, the maternity leave is a paid leave. There is usually a clearly stated process to follow and documents to supply. A Maternity Leave Letter is usually required by the employer before the maternity can be approved.

Study Leave Letter

study leave letter

In many work environments today, the employees are encouraged to pursue educational training to enhance their skills in the workplace. These companies allow qualifying workers take time off work to pursue an academic degree or training with the promise of reabsorbing them into the workforce of the organization as soon as their training is completed. In a few medium to large scale businesses, these study leaves are paid for with an agreement on the part of the employee that he or she will serve the company for an agreed period of time depending on the cost and duration of the study leave. A letter of application for study leave of absence or a study leave letter is the formal letter written to request for this leave.

How to write a Leave of Absence Letter

Every leave of Absence letter must contain the dates you are requesting to be allowed off work. It is good practice to mention the date you hope the leave would commence and the date you expect to be back at work. You may also include the total number of days in the letter.

State clearly why you want to take time off work. If you are going to school and are applying for a study leave,  mention the name of the school, the duration, the program and when the program will commence. If you are applying for a casual leave (a few days), mention why you need some days off. It could be to settle some family issues, take care of your child, take your old mother back to her village. It is very important that your employer has a clear picture of why you are applying for a leave of absence.

Propose a way that the work in the office can continue in your absence. Do not act as if you don’t care what happens to the company in your absence. You could suggest that an assistant be assigned to you for training on the job before your leave or that a co-worker takes up some of your responsibilities. If you do not have any suggestions, you could mention that you would try to finish up the projects you are working on.

Enclose documents that stand as proof that you are really taking time of for what you claim. For example you should attach a copy of your admission letter for a study leave, a copy of your expected date of delivery for maternity leave and so on. If you do not have a proof, you can simply state your reason. This is applicable mostly for casual leaves.

Sign your letter at the end and leave room for your employer to ask you for more information should it be required.

Conclusion

Please use the samples below as guide to create your personalized Leave of Absence letter. Should you have sample or some tips you want to share with other people, please do so in the comment section below.