Excuse Letter: Whenever an employee or a person cannot attend his work or provide his services in a usual manner due to some disturbances or personal reasons, he/ she issues an excuse letter. Excuse letters are also part of formal letters written out to employers, school authorities, principals or higher officials when somebody is unable to report to work for a certain time. It is treated as a temporary leave letter. The excuse letter should clearly and concisely state the reason why the person needs some time away from work, and when at the earliest, he would be back at his responsibilities.
When an employee decides to take a break from work, employers seek documentary evidence for his absence. This is one of the important reasons why excuse letters are needed. They are proof of your absence from the company and act as a record for your leave taken. In a disputed situation or confusion about leaves applied, the excuse letters can be produced as proof.
Though excuse letters sound informal, they serve as formal documents and must be written down with a lot of care in actual usage. They should adhere to professional standards of presentation. This article provides valuable insights into the art of writing excuse letters in formal standards and follows all conventions of standard letter writing practices.
How To Write An Excuse Letter?
In this section, we are offering essential tips and tricks to incorporate while writing excuse letters:
- All standard practices of formal writing like alignment, tone and writing conventions should be correctly followed.
- The letter should never contain slang, jargon or SMS languages. It should be neatly drafted in the most professional way possible.
- Be clear with the subject line. Please don’t mess it up with too much of unnecessary words.
- The body of the letter should clearly and concisely explain your absence from work.
- In case of medical emergencies, a possible supporting document should be attached along with the excuse letter.
- Check the grammatical mistakes in the letter. Do not overwrite. Proofread the document twice and present it with a positive attitude.
Excuse Letter Format and Template
The commonly used format for an excuse letter is explained below:
| Date: From, To, Dear Mr/ Mrs Subject: A clear subject line stating the reason for applying for leave The body of the letter should explain every point/ reason in greater detail. The letter should address supporting points and mention all information required. Standard conventions of writing must be incorporated. Yours sincerely, |
Excuse Letter Samples
By incorporating the above discussed format, we can write many samples, and common ones are discussed below:
Sample 1 – Absence from Work Due to Personal Reasons
| 15-03-2021 Nirmala Jois Sanjay Gupta Dear Mr. Gupta, Subject: Absence notice due to personal reasons I am hereby writing this letter to inform you about my leave from 10-03-2021 to 13-03-2021 due to a medical emergency. My father-in-law was suddenly hospitalised and needed emergency care and attention. Yours sincerely, |
Sample 2 – Absence from School Due to Medical Reasons
| 15-03-2021 Nisha Rawal Mrs. Nancy Pinto Subject: Absence record due to health conditions. Dear Mrs. Pinto, I am writing this letter to inform you about my leave from 10-03-2021 to 13-03-2021 due to a food infection. My symptoms started becoming severe, and I was hospitalised for a day, followed by bed rest. My condition has improved post hospitalisation, and I’m doing fine now. In this regard, please find my supporting medical records for your further perusal. Kindly accept my excuse letter and oblige. Yours sincerely, |
FAQ’s on Excuse Letter
1. What is an excuse letter?
A letter explaining the absence of an employee or student from work/ school/ college owing to personal or medical reasons should be recorded. This document serving as evidence of the concerned person’s leave from his work for a while is called an excuse letter.
2. How is an excuse letter prepared?
An excuse letter is prepared by composing all necessary details of the person’s absence from work in a clear, crisp and concise manner. The fundamental reason for absence is highlighted, and the rest of the points are treated as supportive features of the letter.
3. Why is an excuse letter drafted?
A record for the person’s absence from work is needed to file leaves for a particular year. In case of confusion over a person’s absence, the excuse letters serve as important documentation in finding the exact number of days and extent of the person’s leave from work.
4. What are the important parts of an excuse letter?
An excuse letter is a formal letter containing all conventions and standards of formal letters. The sender’s details, recipient’s details, and subject body explaining the person’s leave from his work and relevant supporting documents are the most important parts of an excuse letter.