PeopleMuster

Leave request email templates for approval

A leave request email gets approved faster when the dates sit in the subject line and the answer takes one word. Below are four short emails for both sides of the exchange: two for the person asking, two for the manager replying.

Use these when leave is still requested by email, or as the note that goes with a request in your leave system. For a formal letter with a full handover plan, the annual leave application is the longer document. Send the request before you book anything you can't refund, and send the reply within two working days.

EMAIL 1: PLANNED LEAVE REQUEST

Subject: Leave request: [FIRST DAY] to [LAST DAY] ([NUMBER OF DAYS] days)

Hi [MANAGER NAME],

I'd like to take [LEAVE TYPE] leave from [FIRST DAY] to [LAST DAY], returning on [RETURN DAY]. That's [NUMBER OF DAYS] working days, and I have [DAYS REMAINING] days left this year.

[COVER PERSON] has agreed to cover [MAIN RESPONSIBILITY] while I'm away.

Could you approve or suggest other dates by [REPLY BY DATE]?

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]


EMAIL 2: SHORT-NOTICE REQUEST (ONE OR TWO DAYS)

Subject: Leave request for [DATE]: [LEAVE TYPE]

Hi [MANAGER NAME],

Something personal has come up and I need [DATE] off as [LEAVE TYPE] leave. I'll finish [URGENT TASK] before I log off today, and [COVER PERSON] knows where things stand.

Please let me know if that works.

Thanks,
[YOUR NAME]


EMAIL 3: MANAGER APPROVES

Subject: Re: Leave request: [FIRST DAY] to [LAST DAY]

Hi [EMPLOYEE NAME],

Approved. Your [LEAVE TYPE] leave from [FIRST DAY] to [LAST DAY] is confirmed, and I've recorded it so your balance updates.

Before you go, please hand [MAIN RESPONSIBILITY] to [COVER PERSON] and set an out-of-office reply.

Enjoy the time off,
[MANAGER NAME]


EMAIL 4: MANAGER OFFERS OTHER DATES

Subject: Re: Leave request: [FIRST DAY] to [LAST DAY]

Hi [EMPLOYEE NAME],

Thanks for asking early. I can't approve [FIRST DAY] to [LAST DAY], because [BUSINESS REASON].

I can approve [ALTERNATIVE FIRST DAY] to [ALTERNATIVE LAST DAY] instead, or we can talk about splitting the days. Tell me which works and I'll confirm today.

[MANAGER NAME]

What to put in each blank

[NUMBER OF DAYS]
Count working days only, leaving out weekends and company holidays. Managers check this number against the balance first.
[DAYS REMAINING]
State the balance you have before this request. It saves the manager a lookup and shows you've checked.
[LEAVE TYPE]
Use the exact name from your leave policy, such as annual or casual, so the days come off the right quota.
[REPLY BY DATE]
Give a date a few days ahead. A deadline turns an unread email into a decision.
[BUSINESS REASON]
Name the real reason in one line, such as a release date or two people already away. A decline with no reason reads as personal.

Before you send it

  • Put the dates in the subject line. Managers approve leave from the inbox list, and a subject that says only 'Leave' gets opened last.
  • Keep the reason out of a planned request. Annual leave needs dates, a balance and cover, not a story.
  • Reply in the same thread. When a question about the dates comes up later, the whole exchange sits in one place.
  • Record the decision the day you send it. An approval that lives only in an email never reaches the team calendar.

PeopleMuster sends each request for approval, tracks used and remaining days per leave type, and shows who is out in the next 7 days

Questions people ask about this letter

How do I write an email asking for leave approval?

Put the dates and the number of days in the subject, then give the leave type, your return day, your remaining balance and who covers your work. Close with a date you'd like an answer by. Email 1 above does all of this in three short paragraphs.

What should the subject line of a leave request email say?

Say 'Leave request' followed by the first and last day and the number of working days. A manager can then approve from the inbox list without opening a vague message first.

How should a manager reply to a leave request email?

Reply within two working days with a clear yes or no in the first word. When the answer is no, give the business reason and offer at least one other set of dates, as Email 4 does.

Is a time off request email different from a leave request email?

No, they're the same request under two names. 'Time off' is common in some offices and 'leave' in others, so use whichever word your policy uses, and keep the dates and balance in the email either way.

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