When requesting a leave of absence from your employer, it is important to give an early warning. Giving an early warning may, of course, not be possible in certain circumstances, such as the unexpected loss of a loved one. However, if giving an early warning is possible (e.g. the leave you are seeking is several weeks or months away), then try to write the letter as early as possible so that your employer and team members at work can plan accordingly. A good way of giving an early warning may be to discuss the proposed leave of absence with your boss before delivering your leave of absence letter. This way your first sentence can refer to your previous discussion and the letter does not come to your boss as a surprise. State the exact dates that you plan to be away. Try not to be vague about the amount of time that you need to be away. In some cases, it may not be possible to be specific about dates, but being specific about dates will help your employer and colleagues plan ahead about how they will handle your work in your absence. Therefore, if at all possible, try to be as specific as you can in your letter about the dates that you plan to spend away from work. Be as transparent as you possibly can about why you need time off. That does not mean you should reveal every minor detail about why you need to be away. In many cases, your employer may not have a right to know certain details about your personal life. However, being as transparent and honest as you can with your employer about why you need time off will minimize the possibility of conflicts with management. Your letter should state that you are aware of your responsibilities and understand that before you leave, you would like to discuss how your work would be taken care of in your absence. You may include in your letter details about how you think your work will be taken care of (e.g. by leaving detailed notes for your team members on current projects that will be due during your absence, leaving contact information so that team members can reach you in an emergency). Know that you are legally entitled to certain types of absences. It is important to differentiate between those absences that you are entitled to and those absences that may only be granted at the employer’s discretion.  In the United States, you are entitled, for example, to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for the birth and care of a baby or for the adoption of a child under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Determine if you meet the eligibility requirements under the Act. These requirements include that you have worked for your employer for at least 12 months prior to the start of your leave and have worked at least 1250 hours in that 12 month period. Your employer must also employ at least 50 employees at your place of work or at a location within 75 miles of that location, and your employer must be a "covered employer" under the terms of the Act.  If you are writing a letter requesting an absence to which you are legally entitled, you can phrase the request accordingly. You can write, for example, “As we both know, I have the legal right to take this time off. I am hoping to take time off between (enter dates). How can we see to it that productivity continues?” Moreover, asking your employer how productivity can be maintained shows a concern for your employer’s well-being and can enhance your standing at your workplace.  If you are asking for time off that is not contractually owed to you, adjust your tone to be apologetic for the inconvenience and promise to make up the lost time to the best of your abilities. Let your boss know if you have any accrued vacation time or sick days. Including this information in the letter will also make things clearer for the chain of command in the Human Resources department if your boss chooses to deny your request and you have to appeal the decision. Although your boss will likely have final say on this, try to give helpful suggestions on which of your coworkers you think would be best suited to cover various aspects of your job in your absence. Try not to put all the burden on one person’s shoulders, however, as that would be unfair to that particular colleague. Whatever the circumstances, it is important that you request a leave of absence politely. You should, in other words, request rather than demand an absence, even if you are legally entitled to it. Asking nicely can minimize confrontation with management.
أعطِ لرئيسك تلميحًا بالأمر. كن محددًا بخصوص التواريخ. كن صريحًا مع صاحب العمل. ناقش كيف سيتم تنفيذ عملك خلال فترة غيابك. تعرف على أنواع الغياب المستحقة. قم بتضمين أفكار حول البديل المناسب لك في غيابك. اجعل كتابتك تدل على كامل الاحترام.