Some companies require that employees complete a standard form to request time off from work. In other businesses, employees must write a brief letter explaining when they want the time off and an explanation. Depending on company policy or the situation, your supervisor might need to discuss your request with her superior before approving or rejecting it.

Before Writing the Letter

Verify your available leave balance with your supervisor or human resources department before requesting paid time off. Do not rely on your pay stub for this information, as the data might not be current. In addition, talk to your supervisor before you actually write the letter. Try to give at least two weeks’ notice to avoid disrupting the flow and production of your department.

Leave Type and Reason

In the first paragraph of the letter, state the type of leave you are requesting and the days you need. For example: “I would like to request paid vacation leave of five working days, from Monday, Nov. 18, 2017 through Friday, Nov. 22, 2017.”

Next, state your current available leave balance. If your company requests a reason, you can explain that in the letter, like wanting time off to spend with your family or to travel. If you need time off because of personal or medical reasons, state this without over-explaining.

Job-Related Information

Create another paragraph to bring your supervisor up to speed on your work. Explain how you plan to make the transition go smoothly and invite her to contact you while you are on leave, if necessary. You might write: “Before leaving, I plan to finish all my regular duties and the 'new accounts' project which you assigned to me two days ago. As discussed, I intend to train the temporary worker who will replace me while I am on leave. Though I will be traveling, you are free to contact me at the cell phone number or email address you have on file for me if you have questions about my work.”

Closing the Letter

To end the letter, simply thank your supervisor for considering your request. If it's appropriate for your employer to contact you while you're away, include your mobile phone number below your name.

FMLA Requests

If you work for a public agency, an elementary or secondary school, or an employer with more than 50 employees, you may be covered by the Family Medical Leave Act. Under the FMLA, eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave to care for their own or immediate family member’s serious health condition, during certain military deployments, or for the birth or adoption of their child. You must give your employer at least 30 days’ notice if you know you will need to take the leave, or as soon as possible once you are aware of it. You do not have to put your medical diagnosis in your letter, but you should give your employer enough information so he can verify that your condition is protected by the FMLA. Your employer might ask you to provide medical certification, which you can obtain from your health care provider and attach to your leave request.