A short-term absence excuse letter is written by an employee, student, or juror to the employer, school, or jury administrator for notifying the reason for absence. The short-term absence extends to four weeks or a minimum. The reasons for the short-term absence could be a minor illness, travel, personal commitment, accident, or death. The letter is a good way of providing a formal correspondence channel between the sender and the recipient.
The letter is helpful in keeping the record of absence and can be referred to later if the need arises. Moreover, it serves the purpose of reflecting the responsible and professional conduct, at part of the sender, in the context of valuing the time and work of the recipient. The letter could be categorized into various types:
- For Workplace -When an employee needs to take an off day(s), either full, half, or couple of days, he/she writes to an employer the reason for absence and the measures that would be taken by him/her to make up for the missed workup. At the workplace, an employee can write a letter for missed work or even a meeting to excuse for the absence. The letter helps in making prior arrangements and to avoid inconvenience. Moreover, it amends the relationship with the employer in case of unplanned absence
- For School -A student or a guardian of the student is required to write an absence excuse letter the relevant school authority for informing about the reason for absence to avoid dismissal of the enrolled student. It could be written for any of the reasons mentioned earlier
- For Jury Obligations – It needs to be written by an individual, who is called upon to exercise the role of a juror, to the jury administrator but he/she fails to appear or has an important personal commitment (daily labor, looking after an immediate family member, an exam, or a meeting
Before writing for a short-term absence excuse, an individual needs to consider the following things:
- Company/Institute Policy – Sometimes a text, email, or phone call is enough to notify the reason for absence. But few companies and legal procedures require written documentation. Hence, it is good to understand the way one needs to follow for communicating the reason for absence
- Discussion with the employer/school authorities – Prior to writing an absence excuse, one needs should discuss the subject in question with the relevant authorities to figure out an alternate for the work, which could be missed out as a result of the absence
While writing a short-term absence excuse letter, the following tips can prove effective:
- Concise and Clear – The body of the letter should focus on mentioning the specific and valid reason for the absence, instead of beating about the bust and writing irrelevant details
- Formal and Humble Language – The tone of the letter should be formal yet humble and should reflect the sense of ownership of the work. When the letter is written after an unplanned absence, it should also portray the sense of realization and ensure the recipient that similar behavior would not occur in future
- Offering Assistance – The letter needs to highlight the alternate strategy that has been or will be used for the missed work, and should communicate that the sender is willing to provide any further assistance/information if required
Sample Letters
Absence Excuse for Minor Illness
I apologize for not being able to attend the office yesterday, 25th August due to a headache and nasal congestion. I sent a text message to my supervisor yesterday about my inability to attend the office. Please accept this document as my official excuse letter for the leave.
Thank you
File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad Size 16 Kb | Download
Absence Excuse for Work Stress
I am writing to request you to grant me leave for a couple of days. I have been dealing with multiple projects over the last 2 months. There has been a great deal of work stress on me. I need just 2 days off to unwind and refresh my mind.
Continuing to work without coping with my stress is going to diminish my productivity. I am sure you will understand and fulfill my request. Accordingly, I would like to take this Wednesday and Thursday off.
Waiting for your approval.
File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad Size 16 Kb | Download
Musculoskeletal Disorder
This is my official excuse letter for my absence from work yesterday, 12th April. I suffer from arthritis and forgot to take my pain medication the day before. Consequently, I had unbearable pain yesterday and could not make it to the office.
Please email me if you would like to see my medical reports for verification.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Absence Excuse for Recurring Medical Condition
I am writing to apologize for my absence from work on the 15th and 16th of January. As I had already informed the manager, I had another asthma attack.
My condition gets worse during the chilly season. I have frequent episodes of severe chest congestion and breathing difficulty due to exposure to the cold. This is the reason why I have been missing work on and off since December.
I request for your cooperation. I am trying to make up for the missed work to the best of my abilities. Your kindness shall be highly appreciated.
File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad Size 17 Kb | Download
Absence Excuse for Backache
I am writing to request you for a day off today, on the 11th of June. I woke up with a stiff back this morning. Although I have taken pain medication, my backache is still unbearable.
I will not be able to drive to the office. Moreover, sitting during the working hours will also be extremely uncomfortable and might worsen the pain.
Kindly allow me to stay at home today so that I can rest and recover. I shall be grateful to you.
File: Word (.docx) 2007+ and iPad Size 17 Kb | Download