Annual leave application
Annual leave is approved on the strength of the plan attached to it, not the politeness of the request. A holiday booked eight weeks out and covered properly rarely gets questioned.
Use this for a planned break where you have notice — a holiday, a trip home, a wedding you are attending. Send it before you book anything you cannot refund.
Subject: Annual leave request — [first day] to [last day] Hello [manager's name], I would like to take annual leave from [first day] to [last day], returning on [return day]. That is [number] working days. Cover while I am away: - [project or duty] — [colleague covering it] - [project or duty] — [colleague covering it] Nothing I own has a deadline inside those dates apart from [deadline], which will be finished by [finish date]. Happy to move the dates if that week is difficult. [your name]
What to put in each blank
- [return day]
- State the day you are back at your desk. It removes the usual follow-up question.
- [number]
- Count working days, not calendar days. Leave out weekends and company holidays.
- [colleague covering it]
- Ask the colleague first. Naming someone who has not agreed is how requests come back rejected.
- [deadline]
- Name any deadline that lands near your dates and say how it gets finished early.
Before you send it
- Give as much notice as you can. A request sent months ahead competes with nobody.
- Check the company holiday calendar before you pick dates. A day the office is already closed should not come out of your balance.
- If several people want the same week, the request with a written cover plan usually wins.
PeopleMuster shows days used, allocated and remaining before a request is sent
Questions people ask about this letter
How far ahead should I apply for annual leave?
Earlier is better, and popular weeks fill first. Many teams ask for a few weeks' notice, but the rule is set by your employer rather than by any single standard.
Should I book flights before approval?
No. Get the dates approved in writing first. A booked ticket puts pressure on a manager and sometimes produces a worse answer than asking cleanly.
What if my request is turned down?
Ask which week would work instead. A refusal is usually about one busy period rather than about you, and a second date often gets approved immediately.