Leave of Absence Letter Sample

Taking Time Off

Before approaching your current employer to ask for time off over and above your current vacation allotment, you need to consider the following:

• Finances
• Employment Situation

Finances

When a person is on a leave of absence from work, his or her bills continue to come in. A key consideration is whether you can actually afford to take the time off. If the opportunity you would like to pursue is on a volunteer basis, then you will need to ensure that you have sufficient funds (or credit) available to cover your expenses while you will be away from work.

Other opportunities may provide financial compensation. In this case, you would need to have less money saved to keep up with your financial responsibilities while you are away. Another possibility is that your experiences while on leave from your current job may lead to new employment opportunities. Whether you end up returning to your old job or not, you will no doubt have a different perspective on life and your way of making a living after the leave of absence is over.

Your Employer's Policy

Some workplaces have a written policy in place with regard to an employee taking a leave of absence. The policy may be geared toward those who need to be away due to illness or injury or because they have been called up for military service.

It may be easier to have your employer agree to a leave of absence if you can show that what you will be doing while away from work ties into your duties for your employer somehow. This is not to say that your request to take several months off to backpack through Europe won't get approved; it's just more likely that your employer will say yes to your request and keep your job for you if it provides some benefit to the organization you work for as well as for yourself personally.

Tips for a Leave of Absence Letter Sample

If your request for a leave of absence is approved, send a confirming letter to your immediate supervisor and the Personnel Department. This will serve as a record in case your supervisor leaves the company while you are away.

In the body of the letter, state the date you will be leaving and your return date. You can include a reference to what you will be doing while you are away, if you like. Be sure to mention what steps you have taken to ensure that your work-related duties will be covered in your absence. If other workers will be taking over your duties, mention them by name and send them a copy of your leave of absence letter as well.

The finished leave of absence letter sample may look something like this:

Dear [Name of Recipient]

Re: Leave of Absence

This letter will confirm that I will be away from the office on a leave of absence starting on [date]. During this time, I will be [state what you will be doing during your time away from work - volunteering for a certain organization, on maternity leave, using the time to recover from surgery or illness, serving in the military, on a sabbatical, etc.].

In my absence, my files/clients/duties will be undertaken/assigned to [names of individuals or departments]. [If appropriate, state how your employer can contact you during your absence by phone or e-mail]. I understand that during this time I will continue to be responsible for the employee portion of my health benefits.

As discussed, I will be returning to work on [date].

Sincerely,

[Your name here]