Absence Excuse Letter for Meeting

An excuse letter is written by an employee to the employer either to inform about the reason for absence during a certain time or to notify about the absence likely to occur in the near future. These letters are written for different reasons, such as emergency, personal commitments, sickness, or any important occasion.

The excuse letters are important to keep a record of an employee’s absence and the reason for the absence. By writing an excuse letter the employee portrays professional conduct, which not only builds trust but also helps in finding an alternate solution to get the work done which could have missed or piled up due to the sudden absence of the employee.

But, in some cases, an employee may take leave without informing his/her supervisor due to an unforeseen incident. In that particular case, an excuse letter needs to be sent to the employer in order to explain the reason for the absence and expected date of return.

Meetings are an essential component of the workplace. Some meetings are scheduled while some are urgently called in order to share any updates or provide a way forward for a certain project. Therefore, there are times when the employee is aware of a meeting and can plan well in advance when an excuse letter should be shared, but if the employee has already taken a day off or checked out of office, without informing the employer,  and a meeting gets called then the employee must write an excuse to state the reason for absence and apologize for the inconvenience it might have caused.

Below are mentioned few tips to write an effective absence excuse letter for a meeting:

  • Be well informed about the company’s policy- how and when the excuse should be communicated. It means, be aware of the communication channel which needs to be used (phone call, email or a written letter) and how early shall it be communicated
  • Avoid writing a comprehensive letter. Keep the letter body to the point, by mentioning absence date, duration (if any) and reason for absence
  • Keep it formal and write in business letter format (where the text is left-aligned, comprising brief and to the point text body)
  • Highlight how you will make up or have made up for the discussion points of the meeting

Sample Absence Excuse Letter for Meeting (Before absence)

Date
Name of Addressee and designation
Address

Dear Mr./Ms. [X]

I am writing this letter that I will not be available for the meeting scheduled on [DATE]. The reason for the absence is that my sister is getting married and hence, I have to make arrangements. I have applied for the annual leaves already but the process will take two more days to complete. The leaves, however, have been approved by my supervisor and department head but will reach administration by tomorrow. 

If needed, I can be contacted on my cell number. I have briefed Mr./Ms. [X] on updates of the project that are to be shared in the coming meeting on my behalf.

Please let me know if you need any further information or want me to share any details with respect to the scheduled meeting. 

If you decide to reschedule the meeting, kindly notify me. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,


File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad Size 17 Kb | Download

Sample Absence Excuse Letter for Meeting (After Absence)

Date
Name of Addressee and designation
Address

Dear Mr./Ms. [X]

I am writing this letter to inform about my sudden absence at the meeting. The reason for the absence is that just before the meeting I received a call that my mother was being taken to the hospital and I had to leave office in rush.

I am aware of the inconvenience my absence has caused. I have been briefed on the meeting minutes by Mr./Ms. [X] and have discussed the tasks that are to be completed by me.

Please let me know if you need any further information. Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,


File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad Size 16 Kb | Download