Write your resume in 15 minutes
Our free collection of expertly designed resume templates will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to your dream job.
Regardless of whether you are arranging a holiday in advance, in the case of an emergency that relates to your family, or just applying for a business trip, writing an appropriate, professional but brief, e-mail is crucial.
In this guide, we’re going to look at how to write a vacation time off request and demonstrate its preparation with the help of examples of real leave requests. We will take into consideration all the demands of a given company's vacation policy, such as advance notice must be given to request vacation time off, and there is pending and current work for which one has to request time off.
This guide will give you insights on:
- What is a vacation or holiday request email
- Key Elements of a Vacation Request Email
- Steps to Write a Vacation Request Email
- Written Samples of a Vacation Request Email.
- Common Mistakes to Avoid in Vacation Request Emails
- FAQ
What is a vacation or holiday request email?
A letter formally asking for time off is called a vacation request, and a detailed procedure of how to go about the request without violating your company’s vacation guidelines is called a vacation policy. A vacation request email should therefore be well written to ensure that the recipient gets a clear message and there is no doubt as to the vacation date requested, more so during peak seasons.
An email asking for a vacation or holiday is very important as it should not affect professionalism and work. This makes certain that important tasks are not left undone during the period when the subordinates are unable to work. Also, it creates effective communication between the employee and the employer together with establishing responsibility and adhering to business operations.
It also avails information to prevent conflict, and misunderstanding and thus boosts the management, and the employees’ respect for the company’s time, and vice-versa while keeping the employee’s morale up by asking for time off for rest and recreation.
Key Elements of Vacation Request Email
Concise Subject Line
A clear subject line makes it possible for the recipient to know what the writer’s intention of sending the email is. This is particularly important for persons who work and may have a busy schedule hence they rarely have time to focus on what they are doing or how they are doing it.
For example:"Application for Leave on the 1st of June to the 15th of June”
"Annual Leave Request: July 10-20"
Salutation
Start with a salutation that best suits the person in terms of formal or informal acknowledgment of him or her. Also, the tone of the greeting depends on the level of interaction you have with the recipient.
For example:"To [Manager’s name],” (for a businesslike letter)
"Hello [HR’s Name],” for a less formal tone of communication.
Vacation Dates
Remember to state the days you want off precisely. That’s why it is best to share this information at the early stages of the communication process to avoid many problems with scheduling and planning.
For example:"I would like to request vacation leave from May 5 to May 12"
"I would like to have a vacation during September first week, that begins from September 1 up to September 7"
Reason (Optional)
It would also be useful to explain the reason behind your absence briefly but it is not mandatory to do so. This could be due to working or business trips, personal issues, or family responsibilities among others.
For example:”I would like the following time off as I plan to have my family vacation"
”This leave is however necessary because of an emergency in my family
Work Handover
Explain how you will deal with your outstanding and ongoing work when you are away. This reassures your manager that the responsibilities that are assigned to your position are well taken care of.
For example:”I will wrap all my issues at work before leaving and I have talked to [Colleague’s Name] to address any emergencies".
”I know that I have informed my team of the current working projects and have assigned [Team Member’s Name] to do this".
Steps to Write a Vacation Request Email
When writing a vacation request letter it is essential to follow some general steps to enhance the formality of the writing. Here’s a step-by-step guide with real-life examples from various professions: Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Review Company Policies
When writing your letter look at the company’s vacation policy and ensure you are aware of any precise guidelines expected of you when writing a letter of vacation request. This helps so that you do not violate certain policies and also helps in planning a way forward.
Example:Set a Subject Line that truly Communicates the Letter’s Contents.
Develop an effective and to-the-point subject line so that the viewer can know the reason why the email is being sent. To avoid confusion make sure that you state specific dates that the recipient will understand the request.
Example:Refer with a Friendly Greeting
A greeting that you use at the beginning of the letter should depend on the degree of acquaintance with the recipient. You can use working language when making formal requests the less formal working language, which is used when addressing your co-workers.
Example:State Your Request Clearly
When writing the body of your letter be sure to state the dates you wish to take off clearly. So make sure that this section is uncomplicated for it to be easy otherwise it will create confusion.
Example:
Choose the Right Format
Choose whether to write a business-like letter or an email-like informal letter depending on the company’s culture. These types of formal letters are typical for more formal environments whereas, informal letters are appropriate for a casual working environment.
Example:Provide Brief Explanation( Optional)
If possible, it’s polite to give a short reason for the leave; otherwise, skip the reason. It could be quite useful to know more about the situation within a company to be able to properly phrase a request.
Example:Mention the Advance Notice
As per company expectations show how much advance notice you are preparing for. This is helpful in the right planning and programming of an organization’s activities.
Example:Request Approval
Gently request vacation approval along with proclaiming willingness to make further information available if required. This is because the message shows that you are willing to discuss any issues which can be important when dealing with individuals.
Remember to leave a courteous tone using polite language followed by your name. This makes the communication professional and also leaves the recipient of the letter with a good impression at the end.
Example:
Written Samples of a Vacation Request Email
General Vacation Request email
Long Weekend Holiday
Request for a Holiday with Prior Notice
Holiday Request for Special Occasion
Request for Holiday with a Handover Plan
Vacation Request Email Writing Tips
- Get straight to the point:
For your vacation time, for writing a vacation request email one needs to avoid any sort of digression. The first line of the body of the email should be the statement of the call to action that you want.
- Ask in Person:
In this case, you may try to talk about the vacation in person with your manager before writing the vacation request email.
For example:- Pay attention to time/notice:
The need to give prior notice is very important when one wants to take some time off work. An email requesting time for a vacation should be made early enough to give your manager time to make whatever preparations are needed when you are not around.
- Check with coworkers:
Request authorization for your vacation from your boss but also consult your co-workers to find out if your absence would inconvenience them too much.
- Consider the time:
One should consider the time he or she has made the vacation request email. It would be best to avoid such formal requests at times when your manager is overwhelmed with other tasks or during such times of the day as morning and evening.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Vacation Request Emails
1. You’ve given short notice
A common error that could be made while writing a vacation request email is giving little or no advance notice. This may disturb the workflow of your team and you can face so many problems as far as the management of workload is concerned.
2. You didn’t follow company policy.
A typical mistake is also a violation of the company’s vacation policy. Every workplace has its rules as to how to fill in a vacation request form, or the extent of notice expected by the employer.
For example:3. Your workload cannot be covered.
Another mistake that many people make is failing to guarantee that their workload can be managed as they are away is another mistake.
For example:Final Thoughts
Writing a proper vacation request e-mail is crucial to avoid interference with the workflow at the company. Keeping in mind the company’s vacation policy and using a well-thought-out subject line while giving advance notice ensures to make way for an easy run through the approval phases.
Always remember to put a clear message about vacation, and your planned periods of absence, and do make a description of how your responsibilities will be handled in your absence in the email. As for the points, it should be mentioned that a well-written request does not only look professional but can also set a proper work-life balance. It is advisable to follow these practices so that one can be granted time off as well as his/her workload.
