Short Term Absence Excuse Letters (SAMPLES)

An employee, student, or juror writes a short-term absence excuse letter to the employer, school, or jury administrator to notify 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 communication channel between the sender and the recipient.

The letter helps keep the absence record and can be referred to later. Moreover, it serves the purpose of reflecting the responsible and professional conduct on the sender’s part 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, they write to an employer about the reason for absence and the measures they would take to make up for the missed work. Employees can write a letter for missed work or even a meeting to excuse the absence. The letter helps in making prior arrangements and to avoid inconvenience. Moreover, it amends the relationship with the employer in case of an unplanned absence.
For School -A student or a guardian of the student must write an absence excuse letter to the relevant school authority to inform 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 called upon to exercise the role of a juror to the jury administrator. Still, they fail to appear or have 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. However, few companies and legal procedures require written documentation. Hence, it is good to understand how one needs to follow to communicate the reason for the absence.
Discussion with the employer/school authorities – Before writing an absence excuse, one needs to discuss the subject with the relevant authorities to figure out an alternative for the work that could be missed due to 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 a sense of realization and ensure the recipient that similar behavior will not occur.
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 being unable to attend the office yesterday, 25th August, due to a headache and nasal congestion. I sent a message to my supervisor yesterday about my inability to participate in 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 requesting 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 will diminish my productivity. I am sure you will understand and fulfill my request. Accordingly, I would like to take this Wednesday and Thursday off.

I was 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 medicine on 12th April, the day before. Consequently, I had unbearable pain yesterday and could not make it to the office.

Please email me if you want my medical reports for verification.

I appreciate your cooperation.

Absence Excuse for Recurring Medical Condition

I 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 why I have been missing work on and off since December.

I request your cooperation. I am trying to make up for the missed work to the best of my abilities. Your kindness will 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 11th June. I woke up with a stiff back this morning. On 11th June, I took pain medication, but my backache is still unbearable.

I will not be able to drive to the office. Moreover, sitting during 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.