Use our Leave of Absence template to write your letter if you need to take time away from work. Our pre-prepared form is easy to use, so it is simple to make your document.
Last Update March 22nd, 2023
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- Leave of Absence Letter (LOA)
- What Is a Leave of Absence
- Leave of Absence Reasons
- How to Ask for a Leave of Absence
- How to Write a Leave of Absence Letter
- Leave of Absence Letter Sample
- FAQs About Leave of Absence Letters
Download our professional examples
What Is a Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence (LOA) is permission given to you when you need a long-term periodaway from studying or work.
What is a Leave of Absence from work?
If you need more days off than what your given personal days allow, you must request a LOA to miss work for that amount of time.
Normally, a Leave of Absence is given if there is a medical or family problem. However, there are other reasons you could take a LOA.
In most cases a LOA is unpaid, nevertheless, some employers pay a part, or even your entire salary during the time off.
Before you get started, though, make sure you know what is written in your employment contract regarding your company’s Leave of Absence policy.
Leave of Absence Example
Below, you can find our example template that outlines exactlywhat to include in your letter to professionally request your employer for a Leave of Absence.
[Date]
[Recipient’s Name]
[Company Name and Address]
Dear [Name]
I am writing to formally inform you that I will need to be absent from work for a period of time.
Therefore, please accept this letter as a formal request for a leave of absence.
I am requesting a leave of [length of leave]. The leave shall begin on
[start date] and end on [end date]. I plan to return to
work on [date].
The reason for my requested absence is [medical/personal/academic/family/mental health].
During my absence, I will be available to assist with any work-related questions. I can be reached at the following email: [email address] and/or phone number:
[phone number].
Please let me know if you have any questions or need further information.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Your name]
[Title]
Leave of Absence Reasons
To be granted a Leave of Absence, you need a valid reason to be permitted to miss a long period of work.
The main reasons that people ask for a Leave of Absence are:
Medical
Mental health
Family
Personal
If you feel that you need to ask for a long period off from work, you must write a formal Leave of Absence Letter asking for permission, or you could face serious consequences.
LawDistrict has Leave of Absence forms, and many other legal documents to help you and ease the writing process.
While creating your Leave of Absence Letter, remember to include what specific reason or reasons you're asking for time away from work.
Medical Leave of Absence
If there is a medical reason that you should not or cannot go to work, you have to request a Medical Leave of Absence.
Some health issues that may require you to request a LOA include:
Surgery
Trauma/injury
Long-term illnesses
Providing proof such as a statement from your physician is mandatory in most if not all cases.
Mental Health Leave of Absence
Without your mental health, you cannot work properly. For that reason, you can submit a request for a LOA for your mental health.
Depression and anxiety are 2 mental health problems that may cause you to need time away from work.
Personal Leave of Absence
Apart from mental and physical issues, there might be personal issues that cause you to request time away from your job. If that’s the case, you will need to ask for a Personal Leave of Absence.
Education and military service are examples of personal situations that can require you to be away from work for an extended period of time.
Family Leave of Absence
A Leave of Absence Letter for family reasons is written when someone has to be at home with their family and cannot be at the workplace.
You can use this request if you need time off for:
Death in the family
Birth of a child
Caring for a dying family member
Intermittent Leave of Absence
Some situations allow you to work on a part-time basis, or with a reduced workload.
Doing this is a good way to keep working and receiving pay while being able to attend to your family or medical treatments.
Unpaid Leave of Absence
An Unpaid Leave of Absence is used when you need more time off work than your benefits allow.
If you have to request more days away from work than you have vacation, sick, and personal days, your needs most likely fit into this category of Leave of Absence.
How to Ask for a Leave of Absence
If you are planning to submit a request for a Leave of Absence, it is important to go over some details before handing it in.
Review your job’s Leave of Absence policy: Your company should have an explanation of what is covered and how to formally apply.
Calculate how long your LOA is going to be: If possible, give an estimate to your employer of how long your absence will be.
Schedule a meeting with your employer: Once you know how long your absence will be, talk to your boss.
Submit a written request: After going through the details and speaking with your supervisor, submit a Leave of Absence Letter.
Prepare your document with our Leave of Absence Letter template to create a well-written letter.
How to Write a Leave of Absence Letter
Ensure your LOA Letter is clear and precise. This will increase the chances of your request being approved.
In order to write a convincing document, you must know what to include in a Leave of Absence Letter from work and how to outline it.
Writing a LOA Letter with errors can lead to your request being denied.
Take advantage of LawDistrct’s Leave of Absence form and include these details in your letter:
Date: Put the date at the top of the document.
Personal information: Fill in your personal information, your address, email, and phone number.
Your supervisor/employer’s information: Fill in your supervisor’s information, e.g. the person the LOA Letter is made out to.
Why you are writing the request: Include the reason you need to be absent. Medical, personal, or otherwise.
The dates you plan to be absent from work: Write the exact dates you are going to miss work.
Your thanks and signature: Leave a message of gratitude and then sign the document.
Leave of Absence Letter Sample
Before submitting any legal document, it is a good idea to go over a sample. Review our sample Letter of a Leave of Absence from work before creating your document.
FAQs About Leave of Absence Letters
Writing a Leave of Absence Letter can be difficult to do considering all the information that’s needed.
Below, we have included the most commonly asked questions and answers regarding a LOA.
What is the Family and Medical Leave Act?
If you need a long period off from work, you may be eligible for the benefits of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
The FMLA ensures you can take up to 1 year of absence from work for motives such as the birth of a child, adoption, or serious illness.
You could be eligible if:
Your employer is covered by the FMLA
You have worked at your job for at least 1 year
You have worked at least 1,250 hours in that year
Your job employs 50 people. Or, at least 50 people in a 75-mile radius.
How Does a Leave of Absence Work?
If you take a Leave of Absence, there are 2 types of leaves that you might be eligible for. There is a Mandatory Leave of Absence and a Voluntary Leave of Absence.
Mandatory Leave of Absence: This type of leave is dictated at the federal level. This means your employer must give you the time off if you are eligible for the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Voluntary Leave of Absence: A Voluntary Leave is decided by your employer. Businesses many times offer this as a benefit, however, it doesn’t offer the same job security as the FMLA.
Do You Get Paid for a Leave of Absence?
In the United States, a Leave of Absence is unpaid in the majority of cases. For example, A Mandatory Leave is almost guaranteed to be unpaid.
However, a Voluntary Leave of Absence could potentially be paid by your employer.
Some employers are willing to pay part or all of your salary based on the circumstances, company policy, and your contract.
You can also ask for some of your paid time off to be included in your Leave of Absence
You can give yourself a better chance of a paid Leave of Absenceby using LawDistrict’s template to outline your document.