Do you need some extended time off work? You are not alone! Let’s talk about how to request a leave of absence from work!
As 2021 ended, I was approaching a breaking point. I had worked in Human Resources for fourteen years, and knew in my soul I needed a break. I believed I had to quit my job to get the break I wanted. My all-or-nothing thinking hindered the available options I could see for myself.
However, a wise therapist asked me if I could request a Leave of Absence (LOA) from work instead of quitting. What?!
A LOA is exactly what I needed. I put together my request, and submitted it to my supervisor. To my surprise, my employer quickly approved my request!
Requesting a LOA was the best decision, ever, and has truly changed my life.
What is a Leave of Absence?
First, let’s define what we mean. A leave of absence (LOA) is extended time off work. A LOA may be referred to by different names (sabbatical, extended leave, etc.) based on the company you work for and their policies. It’s important to review and understand your company’s policies regarding LOA, or lack thereof. Worth mentioning, just because your organization does not have a LOA policy does not mean you cannot request one.
A LOA could be paid, unpaid, or partially paid. My LOA was partially paid because I was able to use some Paid Time Off I had available. Depending on the organization you work for and your benefits, if a medical provider is saying you need time off work due to a medical reason, you could be eligible for Short-Term disability, possibly Family & Medical Leave Act, and other state-based leave entitlements depending on where your organization is located.
For our purposes I’m referring to a self-identified need for an LOA, not time off for a medical reason.
Next let’s get into the steps of how to request a leave of absence.
Are you interested in taking a break from work but don’t know where to start? I can help.
I offer coaching services to support you through the process!
Step 1: Decide How Much Time Off to Request
As you consider a LOA, your first question may be:
How much time do I take off?
This is an important consideration and one you’ll need to give thought to. Why you want a LOA, what you plan to do (or not do), etc. may give you ideas for how much time off to request.
One helpful suggestion is to review your company’s employee handbook or HR policies to see if your company has a Leave of Absence policy. If they do have a policy or something similar (possibly under sabbatical), look for details regarding how much time you can request. Some companies will limit how much time off employees can request.
Based on my experience in Human Resources, I knew somewhere between one to three months was reasonable. The company I worked for was very small, so I knew 90-days could be pushing it. Although let’s face it, the worst they could do is say “no” to my request.
In my situation, one month didn’t seem like enough, but three months seemed too much. I wanted time off to 1) get space from work, 2) rest, and 3) evaluate my life. However, I did not have a specific plan for how I was going to use the time off (yet one did quickly unfold after my request was approved). Two months just felt right, so I asked for 60-days off.
I encourage you to intentionally think about how much time you need. What do you intend to do with the time? How you plan to use the time will help determine how much time off to request.
If you don’t know what you want to do with the time off, that is okay! Wanting to take time off is reason enough!
Step 2: Craft Your Request for a Leave of Absence
How do I go about requesting a LOA?! Won’t my supervisor think I’m crazy? What if they deny the request?
This was the chaos in my head too, as I mentally prepared to make the request. It was hard to put myself out there to request the extended time off.
Here are some guidelines for crafting your request to make it easier:
What to Include in Your LOA Request
- Clearly state you are requesting a leave of absence.
- Propose a start and return date. If possible, take into account work responsibilities, deadlines, etc. Your request may be more well-received if the organization can see you considered these realities. In my situation I wanted to wrap up work with a couple clients before beginning my LOA. I included a brief plan on how that would work in my request.
Example: Based on my current project load, I request the leave of absence start [date] and I will plan to return on [date]. I am open to discussion on the exact start and end date. - Keep your request simple, honest, and straightforward. You may feel you need to get into the ugly details to justify your request, but don’t.
Example: I am requesting a 60-day leave of absence to focus on my mental health. - Address workload demands directly. Explain how you to plan to finish up any work projects that are coming due or may be in progress while you are out. It’s important to acknowledge your absence creates a gap for the organization, but that you have suggestions on how to bridge the gap.
- Propose how you plan to use any paid time off during this time.
Example: I request to use my available Paid Time Off for the first 3 weeks of the leave of absence. - Keep lines of communication open with your employer. Remember this is a request, which can be denied or modified by the organization. The organization may have questions for you before responding. It is in your best interest to engage in dialogue with your organization, even if it leads to negotiation. Maybe your full request cannot be approved, but a portion. Or, maybe the timeframe won’t work now, but could later in the year. Keep the lines of communication open!
Example: I’m happy to discuss this request further and answer any questions you may have.
Step 3: Decide How to Communicate Your Request
Email, written request, or a conversation?
Follow the instructions if your company’s policy outlines how to make a request.
Outside of a policy, each organization has a different level of formality. When making your request take that into consideration.
My company was fairly casual, so I emailed my request to my supervisor, and received the approval back via an email. **Bonus points if you make your request during a conversation.
Questions to Ask Your Employer
By now, you have submitted your LOA request and hopefully received approval back. Before you completely check out, here are some important questions to help logistically prepare for being off work.
What About My Benefits?
Understanding what will happen to your benefits during your LOA is critical. If you are paying for insurance through your company via payroll, if your LOA is unpaid will you need to submit a check to the company each month to cover your insurance premiums? The last thing you want is a disruption in coverage. Make sure you understand what actions you need to take to continue your benefits and avoid any lapses in coverage.
Does your PTO stop accruing while you are on a LOA? Each organization’s policy varies.
How Will My LOA Be Communicated?
By now you are ready to shout from the mountain tops you are getting time off work!
Before you excitedly spill the news, understand your organization’s expectations for how your LOA gets communicated, including who relays the information, to whom, and when. Chances are your organization will take the lead on communicating you will be off work, and the timing of when that is shared and with whom. Follow their lead and keep your good news to yourself in the mean time.
Who Will Pick Up My Workload?
I know, you cannot wait to tell your most difficult client that their project will be transitioning to your coworker, since you won’t be there!
Similar to your internal team though, it is important the organization comes up with a plan for how your work will transition, including the impact to external clients, customers, vendors, etc. Be sure to ask about the transition plan and who is responsible for communicating the information to avoid confusion and unhappy customers, clients, etc.
What Does My Transition Back to Work Look Like?
As your return date approaches, check in with your organization to confirm your return date and discuss to-dos and expectations for the first few weeks back. Don’t be concerned if your first week back feels clunky. It’s completely normal as you transition back after an extended time away.
Again, keep the lines of communication open with your employer.
During my LOA, my manager and I proactively scheduled two brief check-ins. One was mid-way through my time off, and the second was the week before I returned. You may not want to be reminded of work while you’re off. I found it helpful to touch base with my manager, go over high level updates, and then get more specific as my return date approached to prepare for the transition back.
Enjoying Your Time Off
How you use your time off is ultimately up to you. Leading up to my LOA my thoughts revolved around one question:
How can I make the most of this precious time?
As an optimizer, I surely didn’t want to waste a second of it. As I prepared for the upcoming time off, my therapist recommended a “Must Do” list and a “Nice to do List”. However, I didn’t want my LOA to turn into a never-ending to do list, which could have easily happened.
As it turned out, I spent the first four weeks resting, playing with our new puppy, and trip planning for the second four-weeks (!!). Once my LOA was approved, we decided to take a life-changing, four-week RV trip west for our 10-year anniversary! You can bet our amazing adventure (including Badlands National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park) wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have the courage to request the leave of absence.
Sixty-days off changed my life.
Which begs the question:
What opportunities would unfold for you if you took extended time off work?
Do you need help planning for a break from work? I’ve coached others to provide support as they plan to take a break from work, how to make the request to their employer, and how to get clear on how to make the most of the time off. Learn more here.
Additionally, check out our top tips for how to plan for your LOA, including important financial planning tips!
If you have taken a leave of absence or sabbatical from work, tell me in the comments how the break benefited you!
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