What Is a Leave of Absence Letter?
A leave of absence letter explains your need to take an extended break from your job. It’s an essential legal document when you require a leave of absence, as it creates a written record and provides your employer with advance notice. You can use it to explain why you’ll be absent, the dates you’ll be gone, and how your duties will be handled.
Usually, you’ll give your leave of absence request to your supervisor or manager. Instead of explaining the situation themselves, they can forward it to your company’s HR department or executives. While this process is standard, check your company’s policies to ensure compliance.
From a legal standpoint, your leave of absence application serves as written proof of your request for time off. This is especially important if your situation is protected by law. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) supports leave requests related to disabilities that affect one’s ability to work. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects leave taken to care for a newborn.
Reasons to Use a Leave of Absence Letter
These are a few of the most common reasons why people request a formal leave of absence:
- Birth of a child: Maternity and paternity leave are often covered under company policy and the FMLA. Your company may allow for a set number of paid weeks off.
- Death in the family: Many companies offer bereavement leave when a family member passes away.
- Military duty: If an employee or their spouse needs to complete service as required by the armed forces, the employee may qualify for a military leave of absence.
- Health reasons: Health reasons might include surgery, a medical emergency, or mental health issues.
- Education: An employee may request a leave of absence to pursue advanced career training.
- Family reasons: An employee may take time to attend to a relative with a serious illness or injury.
- Jury duty: Employees summoned to jury duty may need an extended period away from work.
Leave of Absence Letter vs. Time-Off Request Form
A leave of absence form lets you ask for a longer period of time away from work. The need for this document may arise from unforeseen circumstances or bigger life events. A time-off request lets you use your company-granted paid time off to relax or attend routine medical appointments. Explore the differences between these two documents below.
| Aspect | Time-Off Request Form | Leave of Absence Letter |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | For short-term absences (sick days, vacation days, PTO) | For longer-term absences (sabbaticals, family leave, medical leave) |
| Length | The time off granted ranges from a few hours to a few days (sometimes weeks) | The time off granted ranges from several weeks to months |
| Approval Process | Usually less complex; only requires approval from one manager | Usually more intricate; may require additional documentation and approval from multiple parties |
| Formality | Less formal (can be submitted as a short email or request form) | More formal (includes a detailed letter with supporting documentation) |
| Content | Includes minimal information, such as the requested time off | Includes more in-depth information, such as the reason for the absence and coverage arrangements |
| Notification | Requires notifying just a supervisor or manager | May require notifying HR and other departments (depending on the reason for the leave) |
How to Request a Leave of Absence from Work
Familiarize yourself with the request process for a leave of absence to improve your chances of acceptance. Learn how to request a leave of absence from work below, including writing an explanation letter for a leave of absence.
1. Determine How Long You Need
Determine when you’d like your leave to begin and how long you need it to last. Consider how your absence could affect your team’s productivity and workflow. If possible, adjust your departure date to lessen the impact on your team.
2. Review Your Company’s Policies
When preparing your application for a leave of absence, you should review your company’s policies. If you want to take a leave of absence for a sabbatical or another reason not covered by federal or state law, ensure you follow organizational requirements for:
- Formatting and documentation
- Amount of notice for the request
- Length of service or full-time status
- Maximum length of leave allowed
- Return-to-work procedures
3. Understand Your Rights
When you issue your notice of absence, be familiar with what your employer must give you. For example, the FMLA mandates 12 weeks of unpaid leave for certain medical and family reasons. You’ll have to provide proper documentation and meet other eligibility requirements, like working for a company with at least 50 employees, so be aware of your rights before submitting your request.
4. Download a Template & Write Your Letter
Once you know the specifics of your request, you can download a leave of absence letter template. Legal Templates offers a form you can use for various purposes, including family, medical, and personal leave.
Knowing how to write a leave of absence form can help you communicate your request efficiently. Here are some of the key elements to include in your letter:
- Employee details: Provide your name and address.
- Your company’s details: Record the business name and address of the company you work for.
- Recipient: Address the specific person at the company you’re writing to.
- Length of time away: State the amount of time you plan to be away from work (with start and end dates).
- Reason for your absence: Explain whether your leave of absence will be due to child care, medical reasons, personal reasons, or family reasons.
- Your availability: Clarify whether you’ll be traveling during the leave. Explain in what capacity you’ll be available to help with work-related tasks and questions.
5. Deliver Your Letter
Send your letter to the appropriate personnel, whether it’s your immediate manager or the HR department. You can deliver a hard copy in person or send it via email. Ask your employer to give you confirmation of receipt so you know they saw the request.
6. Follow Up
Prepare to discuss your request in person with your supervisor or whoever must approve the request. If your situation allows for it, be open to adjusting the terms of your leave so that you can increase your chances of receiving approval.
Leave of Absence Letter Sample
View a free leave of absence letter template to get an idea of what it looks like. Then, use our guided questionnaire to create your own. We’ll make the final copy available to download in PDF or Word format.
Leave of Absence Letter Examples
Explore two examples of leave of absence letters so you can see how to phrase your own.
Example of a Leave of Absence Letter for Personal Reasons
Here is an example of a leave of absence letter for personal reasons. In this letter, an employee requests a leave of absence to take care of his wife:
Michael Marin
1425 Willowbrook Lane
St. Paul, MN 55105August 31, 2025
Gregory and Smith Accounting
313 Oak Street
Minneapolis, MNDear Mr. Fields,
Please accept this letter as my formal request for a leave of absence. My leave is due to the need to care for my wife, who will be recovering from a total knee replacement surgery.
I am requesting two weeks of leave, from September 9, 2025, to September 23, 2025.
If my leave of absence is approved, I will be available to assist with any questions by phone or email.
Please let me know if you have any questions and an appropriate time for us to discuss the terms of my leave of absence.
Sincerely,
Michael Marin
Example of a Medical Leave of Absence Letter
Review this example of a medical leave of absence letter from an employee who will be starting chemotherapy.
Andrew Collins
4821 Meadow Ridge Drive
Sacramento, CA 95821September 1, 2025
Thompson Consulting
2100 Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012Dear Mr. Reynolds,
Please accept this letter as my formal request for a leave of absence. My leave is due to my need to undergo medical treatment. I have recently been diagnosed with cancer and will begin chemotherapy, which will require multiple treatment sessions and recovery days.
I am requesting leave beginning September 15, 2025, through November 10, 2025, to allow time to complete the treatment cycle and focus on recovery.
If my leave of absence is approved, I will be available to assist with urgent questions by phone or email when possible.
Please let me know if you need documentation from my doctor or if there is a good time to discuss the details of my leave.
Sincerely,
Andrew Collins
