What is a Leave of Absence from Work?
A leave of absence from work is an extended period of time away from work. You may need to request a leave of absence from work for various reasons: personal health issues or family health problems, childbirth or adoption of a child, relief from excessive job stress, loss of a loved one, a desire to travel or pursue a hobby, or another reason.
Before You Request a Leave of Absence from Work
Regardless of the reason prompting you to request a leave of absence from work, it’s important to approach the request appropriately so that you can secure approval for the leave and maintain your good standing at work:
How to Request a Leave of Absence from Work
Here are some tips for requesting a leave of absence from work, along with examples of messages you can use for inspiration for your own correspondence.
Check Your Eligibility Before Requesting Leave
Research your organization’s policy on leaves of absence and determine if your situation is covered by the policy. Here are some factors to keep in mind:
- The Family and Medical Leave Act requires employers to provide leave to employees for serious health issues for themselves or family members that require care, for birth or adoption of a child, and for emergencies resulting from active military service of a family member.
- Some states and local municipalities have legislation providing for paid sick or family leave.
- Employees also have the right to a leave of absence from work to serve on a jury or if called to active military service.
- However, employers are not obligated to grant you a leave of absence from work simply because you want one.
Exploring Options for Taking Leave of Absence from Work
Before you request leave, assess how flexible you can be if your employer cannot grant you the time you asked for:
- If a partial leave would enable you to meet your goals, explore the possibility of reducing your working hours. In some cases, part-time leave may be the best option for everyone. Suggesting to work part-time may be more acceptable to your employer, and you will retain some cash flow.
- Consider using a temporary work-from-home arrangement instead of taking full leave. For example, if you need to care for a sick family member, working remotely could be an ideal solution. Or perhaps you can work from home four days a week and come in one day for weekly meetings or appointments. Be prepared with a variety of alternatives in mind that you can share if your employer is willing to consider other options.
- Plan your next steps before submitting your request. If your employer denies your leave of absence request, will you continue in your job, or will you need to leave it altogether? Your next steps will vary greatly depending on the reasons for the leave, and whether you are requesting it out of desire or necessity. In any case, you should have a rough idea of how to handle a denial if your request is refused.
- Plan your finances before submitting your request. Ensure that you can cover your bills without the regular cash flow from your job. Generally, you may be able to withdraw a leave of absence request for financial reasons, but it’s best to avoid embarrassment if possible.
- Explore the impacts of the leave on your benefits. If you take leave for reasons covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, your employer is obliged to continue providing health coverage. However, you will still be responsible for the same employee contribution to premiums that you were paying before your leave. For other types of leave, employee benefits may not continue during your absence from work.
Best
How to Request a Leave of Absence from Work
Start the leave of absence process with your direct supervisor. You do not want your supervisor to hear about your leave from HR or upper management first. Additionally, do not mention your intention to take a leave of absence to your colleagues until you have confirmed it with your manager.
Clarify your request in writing so your supervisor can digest your request before the formal discussion. You may submit your request via email before the personal meeting. Be sure to include the reasons for your request, and clarify anything you would like or can do to facilitate the transition, including training a replacement, writing a procedure guide, and answering questions while you’re away.
Schedule a meeting when your supervisor is less stressed or busy. If you request a leave of absence when your supervisor is under excessive pressure, they may reject you outright. On a day when it doesn’t seem good with all hands on deck, your request for leave may not find a receptive audience. Be kind and patient. Yes, it is important to provide as much notice as possible, but you should also be strategic when making your request.
Give your employer plenty of notice before your leave. Providing advance notice will make it easier for your employer to fill the gap you leave with your departure and make them more likely to accept your request.
Specify an end date, if possible, so your supervisor has peace of mind knowing when you will return. Your request will be more successful if you can suggest some ideas about when you will be back. Even if you cannot pinpoint a specific date, it is still best to give your employer a general idea of the expected duration of your absence.
Do not make any threats with your initial request. Let your employer feel that they are in control and can grant you the leave out of goodwill. If necessary, you can rely on any legal protections later with the help of your HR department, but legalities should not be mentioned in your initial request.
Sample Letters Requesting a Leave of Absence from Work
Below is a sample letter requesting a leave of absence from work for personal reasons. The letter addresses how to answer questions during the employee’s absence and specifies the date of return to work.
You can use this template as a model, download the template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online), and review more examples below.
Leave of Absence Request Sample (Text Version)
George Jenkins
1245 James Avenue
Pocatello, Idaho 83201
(000) 123-1234
gjenkins@email.com
October 10, 2022
Ms. Janice Smith
Supervisor
ABC Company
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/how-to-request-a-leave-of-absence-from-work-2060471
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