How to ask for a Leave of Absence from Work in 2024
Asking for time off — whether you need it due to illness, maternity leave, bereavement, 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 fear stop you from applying for leave. Framing your leave request the right way can help you avoid conflicts and make it more likely to be approved.
How to ask for a Leave of Absence from Work
Here’s how to take time off:
- Learn about your legal rights to leave and pay leave.
- Make your initial leave request in person or via video conference rather than in writing.
- Please give sufficient advance notice before requesting leave.
- If possible, work with your boss to develop a satisfying vacation plan.
- Keep track of relevant paperwork associated with your leave of absence.
Here’s what you need to know about taking time off.
What is a leave of absence (LOA)?
A vacation is an extended vacation time granted to an employee by an employer.
Before you ask your boss for leave, it’s important to understand the federal and state leave laws related to your request, as well as your employer’s policies.
Depending on your requirements, you may or may not continue to receive salary and employee benefits while on leave.
Additionally, knowing your workplace rights will help you have a more informed conversation and negotiate the best solution for you and your employer.
Voluntary and Mandatory Leave of Absence, or LOA
There are many acceptable reasons to extend your hours with an employer-approved leave of absence. Certain types of mandatory leave, such as maternity leave, are protected by federal law.
But the law does not compel your employer to approve your request for voluntary leave (for example, an extended leave), so it’s important to know your request type.
What is the Family and Medical Leave Act?
Many common extended leaves fall under the Family and Medical Leave Act or FMLA jurisdiction. FMLA is a federal labor law that guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year to care for a health condition facing you or an immediate family member or to bond with a new child.
The act also allows an eligible employee up to 26 weeks to care for a covered service member’s serious injury or illness if the employee is the service member’s spouse, child, the parent or close relative.
Although your employer must offer you a job when you return from leave under FMLA, it may not be the same job you had before the leave, although it should be an equivalent position.
Although FMLA leave is unpaid, you can use paid time off while on FMLA leave. Employers can also use a strategy to delay or supplement FMLA leave by using paid time off.
- Eligible reasons for leave under FMLA
- Eligibility criteria for taking FMLA leave include:
- Treat yourself or a family member’s serious health condition.
- For the birth of a child and bond with the newborn, or place the child with an employee for adoption or foster care.
- For specific reasons related to certain military deployments or caring for covered service members.
However, not every worker is eligible for job protection under the FMLA. Employers with fewer than 50 employees are not required to comply with FMLA laws; only employers with at least 50 employees working for at least 20 weeks in the current or previous year must comply with FMLA.
As an employee, to qualify for FMLA leave, you must work for an employer with 50 or more employees working within 75 miles of their office. Before taking time off under FMLA, you must also have worked for at least 12 months – and provided at least 1,250 hours of service.
What is a good reason to take a leave of absence (LOA)?
If you want to apply for extended leave, there are many good reasons to do so—even if FMLA or other employment laws do not cover your situation.
For example, you can apply for time off to take time off, complete graduate study, recover from work-related or personal stress, sit on a jury, mourn the death of a loved one, or make funeral arrangements for a family member.
When these situations are not protected by law, your employer may list policies in their employee handbook to help deal with them. Can an employer refuse unpaid leave? It is up to your employer to decide whether or not to grant these more voluntary leave of absence.
What is a bad reason for a leave of absence (LOA)?
Although you can request leave for any reason, your employer may be more likely than others to approve certain types of leave requests. How you ask — and your relationship with your employer — can be an important factor in determining whether your leave of absence is approved.
Suppose you take leave for a more personal reason, such as participating in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program. In that case, you may need to explain your reason more generally in health or medical terms to protect your privacy.
Another consideration when considering whether to take time off should be your financial situation. Make sure you have enough money in the bank to take unpaid leave.
Sometimes, an employer may allow an employee to take leave that the employee did not request. For example, if an employee is accused of misconduct, such as harassment, the company may furlough the employee with pay while the claim is investigated.
How should you apply for a leave of absence (LOA)?
One of the most important things to do when preparing for a leave of absence is due diligence. Before applying for a leave of absence, research your company’s policy on leave — and what federal law says about the type of leave you’re requesting.
Time is also a factor in considering how to take time off because understanding your boss’s personnel issues — and helping plan and prepare for them — can increase your chances of getting a leave of absence approved.
Give your supervisor as much advance notice as possible to take time off. This will help ensure your team isn’t scrambling to reassign your job at the last minute or hire a temporary replacement to complete your job responsibilities.
When you ask for time off, enter into a discussion that is ready to work with your boss to develop a plan that works best for both parties.
Maybe you can suggest continuing to work remotely for a few weeks while recovering from surgery or voluntarily taking time off during the company’s relaxing offseason rather than busy seasons.
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If your vacation falls under the FMLA, keep a written record of FMLA-related documents and correspondence. This will help you avoid frantically searching through your work emails and medical forms when trying to care for a newborn or recovering from surgery.
Finally, understanding your true worth as an employee can help you strengthen your case when you take time off. If you’re a star employee, your employer will be more likely to honor your leave request because they don’t want to lose you.
