Asking for a leave of absence from work — whether you need time off for illness, bereavement, maternity leave or other reasons — is one of the most stressful requests an employee can make.
But even if you’re worried, you shouldn’t let your fears prevent you from requesting a leave of absence. Framing your leave of absence request in the right way can help you avoid conflicts and make approval more likely.
Here’s how to ask for a leave of absence from your job:
— Understand your legal rights regarding time off and pay for a leave of absence.
— Make your initial leave of absence request in person or via video conference rather than in writing.
— Give sufficient advance notice before taking a leave of absence.
— If possible, work with your boss to develop an agreeable leave of absence plan.
— Keep track of relevant paperwork related to your leave of absence.
Here’s what you need to know about asking for a leave of absence.
[READ: Paid Family Leave: Everything You Need to Know.]
What Is a Leave of Absence?
A leave of absence, or LOA, is an extended period of time off that an employer grants an employee.
It’s important to understand federal and state leave of absence laws — as well as your employer’s policies — that relate to your request before you ask your boss for leave. This is because, depending on your request, you may or may not continue to receive a paycheck and employee benefits during your leave. Plus, understanding your workplace rights will help you approach the conversation more knowledgeably and negotiate the best possible solution for you and your employer.
Voluntary and Mandatory Leaves of Absence
There are a number of acceptable reasons to take extended time off from your job through an employer-approved leave of absence. Some specific types of mandatory leave, such as maternity leave, come with protections under federal law. But your employer isn’t mandated by law to approve your request for a voluntary leave of absence — for example, to take an extended vacation — so it’s important to know which type you’re requesting.
What Is the Family and Medical Leave Act?
Many common types of extended leave fall under the Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA. The FMLA is a federal labor law that guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during the year to take care of a health condition that you or an immediate family member is facing, or to bond with a new child. The act also allows eligible employees to take up to 26 weeks to care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness if the employee is a spouse, child, parent or the next of kin to that service member.
Although your employer must offer you a job when you return from your leave of absence under the FMLA, it may not be the same job you had before your leave, though it should be an equivalent position. Though FMLA leave is unpaid, you may be able to use paid leave while you’re taking FMLA leave. Employers may also use a strategy in which they delay or supplement FMLA leave by using up paid time off, too.
[Read: 7 Ways to Prepare for an Unpaid Maternity Leave.]
Eligible Reasons to Take Time Off Under the FMLA
The eligibility criteria for taking an FMLA leave of absence include:
— To deal with a serious health condition of your own or of a family member.
— For the birth of a child and to bond with the newborn, or for the placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care.
— For specified reasons related to certain military deployments or to care for a covered service member.
Not every worker is eligible for job protection under the FMLA. Employers with fewer than 50 employees are not mandated to follow FMLA law; only employers that have had at least 50 employees for at least 20 weeks in the current or previous year must comply with the FMLA.
As an employee, to be eligible for an FMLA leave of absence, your employer must have 50 or more employees working within 75 miles of your office. You also need to have worked at your job for at least 12 months — and have put in at least 1,250 hours of service — before taking a leave of absence under the FMLA.
There are many additional regulations and provisions related to taking leave under the FMLA. For more information on FMLA legislation and its full requirements, visit the Department of Labor’s website.
What Are Good Reasons to Take a Leave of Absence?
If you’d like to request an extended leave, there are many appropriate reasons to do so — even if your situation is not covered under the FMLA or another employment law. For example, you might request a leave of absence to take a sabbatical, finish graduate school, recover from job-related or personal stress, attend jury duty, mourn the death of a loved one or complete funeral arrangements for a family member.
When these situations don’t come with legal protections, your employer may have policies outlined in its employee handbook to help deal with these circumstances. Can an employer deny unpaid time off? The fact is that approval of these more voluntary leaves of absence is at your employer’s discretion.
What Are Bad Reasons to Take a Leave of Absence?
Although you can request a leave of absence for any reason, your employer may be more likely to approve some leave requests than others. How you ask — and your relationship with your employer — can be important factors in whether or not your leave of absence gets approved.
If the reason that you’re requesting an LOA is more personal, such as to attend a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program, you may want to explain your reason more generally in terms of health or medical treatment to maintain your privacy.
Another consideration when thinking about a leave of absence should be your finances. Make sure you have enough savings in the bank to take an unpaid leave of absence.
In some cases, an employer may put an employee on a leave of absence that the employee didn’t request. For example, if an employee is accused of improper behavior like harassment, a company may place the worker on a paid leave of absence while investigating the claims.
[Read: A Guide to Calling in Sick.]
How Should You Ask for a Leave of Absence?
It’s important to do your due diligence before asking for a leave of absence. Research your company’s policies on leave — as well as what federal law says about the type of leave you’re requesting — before asking for a leave of absence.
Timing is also a factor in considering how to ask for a leave of absence since being aware of your boss’s staffing issues — and helping to plan and prepare for them — can increase the odds of having your leave of absence approved. Give your supervisor a heads-up about your request for a leave with as much lead time as possible. This will help ensure that your team isn’t scrambling at the last minute to reassign your work or hire a temporary replacement to cover your job duties.
When you ask for a leave of absence, go into the discussion prepared to collaborate with your boss on a plan that works best for both parties. Perhaps you can suggest continuing to work remotely for a few weeks while recovering from an operation, or aim to take a voluntary leave of absence during the company’s relaxed offseason, rather than the busy season. Remember, while it’s important to provide a clear explanation of the dates you’ll be absent, avoid over-disclosing personal information. Only share details that are relevant for human resources to understand your situation.
If your leave is under the FMLA, keep a paper trail of FMLA-related documents and correspondence. This will help avoid frantically searching through your work emails and medical forms when you’re trying to care for a newborn or recover from an operation.
Finally, if you understand your true value as an employee, it can help strengthen your case when asking for a leave of absence. If you’re a star employee, then your employer will be more likely to accommodate your request because they won’t want to lose you.
Leave of Absence Dos
— Communicate clearly and early: Providing your manager with ample notice gives them enough time to make necessary arrangements, such as redistributing your tasks among team members, to ensure continuity of work during your absence. It also gives you time to discuss and settle any pending tasks or responsibilities.
— Have a game plan: “Before approaching your manager or HR, consider your responsibilities and come in with your game plan for coverage and ramping up a new person,” says Amy Spurling, founder and CEO of Compt, an HR software that enables companies to offer personalized employee perks. By putting in detailed work up front, you streamline the transition process and make your manager’s life easier.
— Be specific about the time. Knowing the exact time frame of your LOA helps your manager redistribute your tasks among colleagues or bring in temporary support if needed. This reduces the chance of workflow disruptions that could negatively impact your team’s productivity.
Leave of Absence Don’ts
— Don’t wait until the last minute. Avoid bringing the LOA request to your HR department or manager at the last moment. “It not only places undue stress on your team but might also give the impression that you’re not considerate of the broader organizational needs,” Spurling says.
— Don’t assume your manager isn’t busy. Your manager might already have a lot on their plate and may not have the time to juggle multiple things at once. To increase the chances of getting your LOA approved, it’s best to make the process as easy as possible for everyone involved by planning ahead.
— Don’t assume approval. Don’t assume your company will automatically approve your request for a leave of absence, even if you consider your reasons to be valid. “Each company has its own policies, and there may be other factors at play depending on the situation,” Spurling says.
Can a Leave of Absence Affect Your Job Security?
While taking a leave of absence is often necessary for personal or medical reasons, the reality is that it may have an impact on your security and career progression. According to Spurling, a short leave might have little to no impact, but a more extended absence might. “If you’re out during crucial projects or miss opportunities to showcase your skills, it could slow down your trajectory a bit,” she adds.
And even though legal protections exist in certain circumstances, relationships and team dynamics could still be affected by how you communicate your leave. So, while your LOA may not directly affect your career, what you do before and after it could.
To minimize any potential negative effects and ensure a smoother transition back to work, it’s important to be proactive, flexible and communicative upon your return. Reach out to your employer before returning to the office and express your enthusiasm about coming back. Also, catch up on anything that will make the re-entry easier.
Remember that not all types of leaves are protected, so make sure you understand your company’s policies and the relevant federal and state laws to avoid losing your income upon returning. “I have seen an employee go out on leave for 12 weeks, and the company was able to absorb the role into other ones and therefore eliminated the position,” says Amanda Webster, the chief operating officer of the national lending program Fund&Grow.
Sample Leave of Absence Letters
After discussing your request for a leave of absence with your supervisor, you should follow up by providing your manager or HR department with a formal written request for a leave. While you’ll need to personalize your leave of absence letter to reflect your exact circumstances for requesting time off, the sample letter templates below can help get you started and offer a framework for considering how to make the request to your boss or employer.
The first template suggests possible language for a formal printed letter requesting an LOA and the second template shows an example of how you might request an LOA via email. While an email request can be shorter, it should still use formal language and include all of the same key information as a formal printed letter, including the dates you’re requesting to be out of the office, your return date and a suggestion for backup coverage for your role while you’re away.
Before providing either type of letter, you should first discuss your leave of absence request with your manager.
Leave of Absence Request: Formal Letter Sample
Your name
Address
Phone number
Date
Your manager’s name
Title
Company name
Company address
Dear (manager’s name),
I would like to formally request a leave of absence from my position as (job title) at (company name). As we recently discussed, my requested leave would last (time frame; for example, “one month”). My leave would begin on (month, day and year) and end on (month, day and year). I would return to the office on (month, day and year).
If my leave is granted, it’s important to me that you and my team are left with proper coverage for my duties while I’m out of the office. As mentioned during our discussion about this, I would arrange for one of my team members, as approved by you, to provide support and backup for my job function during the dates of my leave. Additionally, between now and the start of my leave, I would prioritize finalizing as much of my current workload as possible, and would leave detailed notes for my backup about any in-progress work and ongoing assignments.
If I can answer any other questions for you that we didn’t discuss previously, please let me know. Thank you in advance for considering this request. I appreciate your support and understanding.
Sincerely,
(Your signature) (Your typed name below your signature)
Leave of Absence Request: Email Sample
Subject: Leave of absence request: (your name)
Dear (manager’s name),
I am writing to formally request a leave of absence, which we discussed when we met on (date). The requested dates for my leave are (month, day and year) through (month, day and year). I would return to the office on (month, day and year).
To help facilitate this process and make it as easy as possible for you and the team, I would be happy to suggest alternate coverage and a detailed plan for how my duties and workload would be covered during my leave. I would also provide contact information where you and team members could reach me in an emergency.
Thank you for considering this request, and I’m available to answer any additional questions you may have about it.
Best regards, (Your name)
More from U.S. News
20 Big Companies That Hire Remote and Hybrid Workers
How to Ask for a Leave of Absence From Work (With Examples) originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 10/17/23: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
