We'll Help You Write a Good Absence Excuse Letter for Your Leave

An absence excuse letter is an important document that you must provide to the concerned authority either before you go on a planned leave or once you're back from a sudden and unplanned one. This article will help you write one.

Sujata Iyer

Last Updated: Jun 3, 2018

Taking a leave of absence from work or school could be for a variety of reasons. Your holiday/s may be justified, but it won't matter to the people you are reporting to, unless you furnish a valid excuse letter. The letter will show that you are responsible enough to explain the reasons for your leave, which could have caused some inconvenience to your colleagues (in case of work). It is a mark of respect to the teacher in case you missed school. Read ahead for advice on how you can draft such a letter. You'll also get some examples for the same.

How to Write an Absence Excuse Letter

Make sure the reason for your leave is valid.
As always, use good stationery.
Begin with the date of writing the letter.
Then comes your name.
Follow it with the name of the person you report to (your immediate boss or whoever you must address the letter to).
Then the name of your organization.
Use appropriate salutations as this is an important document of business communication. "Dear Ms./Mr./(name of the person)," is perfectly acceptable as a salutation.
You may or may not use a 'subject line'. The subject line helps to grab the attention of the reader to the reason the letter was written. This saves time, and also, in case the letter has been sent to the wrong person by mistake, the person can redirect the same to the concerned person/department.
In this letter, you do not need to write an introduction. You can directly begin with the purpose of the letter, i.e., the reason for your absence.
Keep the language simple and clear. State the reason for leave along with the period of leave (date/s and number of days) because it serves as an important official record.
Conclude the letter with an offer to furnish any more details that the person may require.
End with "Sincerely, (your name)".
Hand it over to the concerned person on the day you return from. Be prompt in this, as a delay may create an impression that you are irresponsible and take the company rules casually.

Samples

Sample #1

ABC

07/14/2011

XYZ,
(Name of Organization),
(Address).

SUB: Leave of absence

Dear Mr. XYZ,
Please consider this letter as an official notification that I was on leave on 07/12/2011 and 07/13/2011, on account of high fever and severe influenza.

Attached is a medical certificate from my family doctor, Dr. LMN. I will be glad to provide you with any more information that you may require regarding the matter.

Thank you.
Sincerely,
_______(Signature)
ABC.

Sample #2

ABC

07/14/2011

PQR,
(Name of Organization),
(Address).

SUB: Absence letter

Dear Ms. PQR,
This letter is to inform you that I was unable to come to work on 07/12/2011 and 07/13/2011, as I had to travel out of town to attend the funeral of a family member.

I assure you I will make up for the work that I have missed out on.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
______(Signature)
ABC.

Sample #3

07/14/2011

(Name of parent)

(Name of teacher/ principal)
(Name of school)
(Address of School)

Dear Mr.(Name of teacher/principal),
I, (your name) am the mother of (name of student) who studies in (class). I request you to excuse him for not attending school on 07/12/2011 and 07/13/2011, as he was advised strict bed rest by our doctor, Dr. (name of doctor) after a bout of food poisoning and severe dehydration.

I have already gathered the lessons and homework covered in the two days that he missed, and his notes are up to date. Also, attached for your benefit is the doctor's certificate. Please feel free to contact me for any questions that you may have regarding this matter.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
(Your name)
_________(Signature)

(Relation with student)

These were some guidelines for writing a letter for a leave of absence. If you're not going in due to ill health, make it a point to inform your colleague/s on the day itself by a phone call or a text message. If you're not fit enough to do it, ask someone to do it for you on the same day itself. This enhances the genuineness of your leave and shows that you are serious about your work. The more accurate and authentic the letter is, the more believable it is, so keep it crisp and simple.