The letter or email that you write to request time off does not have to be long or complicated. However, it does need to be well written and reflect an appropriate level of professionalism. Use one of the templates provided here as a starting point for writing your own vacation request, based on the length of time you plan to be away from work.
Sample Vacation Request Letter Templates
To get started, simply click on the image of the document you want to use. It will open as a PDF document that you can edit, save and print. This guide for Adobe printables can be beneficial if you need assistance working with the document.
Sample Letter Requesting Up to a Week of Vacation
Use this version if you are asking for a vacation of one week or less.
Example Letter Requesting a Longer Vacation
Use this template if you are planning to request more than one week of vacation.
Sample Request Letters for Other Types of Leave
If you don't have vacation time available and you still need to take time off from your job, you'll need to use a different kind of letter.
- Personal/family reasons: Use one of these sample leave of absence letters if you need time off from work for personal or family reasons.
- Medical reasons: If you need to request time off for medical reasons, use one of these medical leave of absence templates instead.
Submitting Leave Requests Via Email
While letters are a traditional option for formal business communication, email can also be an appropriate way to ask for time off from work. Consider how your boss prefers to receive communication when deciding which option would be best. If you opt for an email rather than a printed letter, you can simply copy and paste text from the sample letters into the body of a message. Or, you can use the letter format and attach the finished PDF to an email.
Send the Right Message
Everyone needs to take a break from work once in a while. Increase your chances of having your leave request approved by submitting a well-written time off request to your supervisor well in advance of the dates that you want to be out of the office. Your request doesn't have to be complicated. If your company provides a time off request form, use that. Otherwise, use one of these templates as a guideline for writing a simple letter of request.
As for Time Off as Early as Possible
Keep in mind that vacation requests are often approved in the order they are received. Because of this, it's in your best interest to submit your letter as soon as you know that you would like to schedule a vacation. After all, you don't want to ask for days off only to discover that your request is denied because another employee has already been granted leave for the same time.
