Free Leave of Absence Letter (LOA)

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]

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. 

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. 

1. Review your job’s Leave of Absence policy: Your company should have an explanation of what is covered and how to formally apply. 

2. Calculate how long your LOA is going to be: If possible, give an estimate to your employer of how long your absence will be. 

3. Schedule a meeting with your employer: Once you know how long your absence will be, talk to your boss. 

4. 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.

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. 

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. 

There’s other documentation related to a Leave of Absence Letter that may be of use to you. 

These documents have information in common with a LOA. This extra information can help you during the writing process. 

• Resignation Letter: Notifies your employer you are leaving your job.

• Two Weeks Resignation Letter: Gives 2 weeks' notice that you are resigning from your job.

• Employment Contract: Lists the terms and conditions of your employment.