Did you know that almost half of Americans who have paid time off (PTO) take less time than their employer offers? Some don’t want to fall behind in their work. Others fear letting down their bosses or colleagues. 

Yet, taking time to decompress is important because it helps prevent physical and mental health issues, accumulated due to prolonged stress and fatigue. Rest then leads to better cognitive performance, which increases your productivity and satisfaction. So you should never feel guilty about filing a time off request — and here’s how you do it. 

How to Request Time Off

Unfortunately, only three states (Maine, Nevada, and Illinois) have employment laws that mandate paid time off accumulation for employees. The rest leave the decision at the employer’s discretion. So the employer can legally deny your time off request unless it’s guaranteed by The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). 

Hence, you need to be strategic about how you frame your request and when you submit a time off request form. Here are our best tips. 

1. Review The Company Policy 

Companies can offer paid and unpaid time off. The amount and conditions are documented in your employment contract and company policies. 

You may have the following options: 

Paid Time Off	Unpaid Time Off
Vacation time Sick leave Paid public holidays Personal days Parental leave Bereavement leave Military leave	Parental leave under FMLA Military family leave under FMLA Unpaid leave of absence Leave for jury duty Unpaid sabbatical or vacations Unpaid caretaker’s leave

Read the PTO policy to how many days you have in total and what conditions apply for different types of absences. For example, your employer may allow you to only take seven consecutive days of vacation in a row or have a combination of paid and unpaid paternal leave options. 

2. Mind the Timing 

If you’re planning a short absence, check your current schedule for any deadlines or potential conflicts. Few bosses will happily approve time off when the work is hectic. In some cases, however, you can increase the approval odds by finding coverage for your shift. 

Likewise, you should file your request in advance. In some companies, vacation request forms must be submitted 14 days before the start date, for example. 

Yet, there are also several acceptable excuses for missing work on short notice including sickness, family emergencies, jury duty, and commute problems due to bad weather. Still, you must send your time off email request ASAP to allow your manager to make the necessary arrangements. 

3. Talk To Your Manager First 

Your supervisor must sign on your time off request. So it’s a good idea to give them a heads-up first. You can either send them an email or catch up with them face-to-face.

In most cases, you don’t need to explain the reason behind your request (unless you want to). However, your manager may appreciate the extra details if you’re requesting a longer leave or file an urgent request. 

Here’s a sample time off request email you can send to a manager: 

4. File a Time Off Request Form 

Depending on how things are set up with your company, you may need to submit a formal time off request form after you get the green light from your manager. This one should be filed with your HR department as it’s necessary to calculate payroll. 

A standard form will usually ask you to state the start and end date, total leave duration, and the type of leave requested (e.g., vacation, medical leave, personal day off, etc). It should also include any extra instructions, specific to your company. 

5. Update Your Status 

For longer time off, be sure to notify other members of your team. Update your work calendar availability and statuses in workplace communication tools (Slack, Teams, etc). 

You should also send an email out-of-office autoresponder, informing you when you’ll be back at your desk. A good OOO email includes your return date and the contact details of a person who’s covering for you. 

Bonus: Swipeable Time Off Request Template

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