Career Tips, Career Success, Work Life Balance
If you are looking to take a break from work, but don’t have time for an entire day off, requesting a half-day at work may be the perfect solution.
By asking your boss for a half-day leave, you can enjoy a much-needed break without having to miss any important work.
Furthermore, by requesting half-day leave in advance, you can avoid potential conflict or negative consequences that may come with missing too much work. Let’s take a look at how to ask to take a half-day at work professionally.
How to Request for Half Day Leave At Work
Many people are unaware that they can request a half-day leave from work to take care of personal matters. In fact, many companies have a policy permitting employees to take a half-day leave for any reason.
The key is to make sure that you follow company policy and don’t abuse the privilege.
1. Find the Right Time
Timing your request is probably the most important factor in successfully getting the approval for a half-day off.
Nonetheless, there are times when you cannot choose when to ask for a half-day off from work due to emergencies. If that’s the case, state the reasons clearly.
When is not the right time to ask for a half-day off?
Your boss and colleagues will appreciate it if you don’t ask for an off day during the following scenarios
- When the team is in a middle of an important project.
- When you still have a lot of things left undone.
- When your boss is under a high level of stress.
When is the right time to ask for a half-day off?
There is another time of the day where asking for a half-day off can be a good time.
- When you have completed all the important and urgent task that is in your care.
- Your team does not require additional help to complete their task.
- Your boss is in a good mood and is not under a high level of stress.
2. Have a valid reason
There are many reasons why you may want to take a half-day off. When thinking of a reason why your boss should let you take a half-day at work, especially on short notice, it is important that your reasons should be valid.
Bad Reasons to Take Half-Day Off Work
- Going to a concert
- Shopping in general
- Want to take an afternoon nap
- Want to cut hair
- Want to do a facial or manicure
- Nothing to do at work
- Don’t feel like working
- Don’t want to leave my cat or dog at home
- Someone died (while they didn’t)
Good Reasons to Take Half-Day Off Work
- Moving house
- Waiting for a delivery
- Taking care of a sick family members
- Dealing with family issues
- Dealing with relationship issues
- Attending a wedding
- Attending a religious event
- Attending a doctor’s appointment
- Attending a funeral
3. Let your boss know early
Regardless of your reasons, it is important to let your boss know about your plans early, when you make your boss’s life easy, your boss will make your life much easier.
Let your boss and all those who might be involved know early about your half-day off is a way to show that you respect their time and you are being professional in your work ethic.
When your boss knows about your plans in advance, the necessary arrangements can be made for your absence from work.
- Time to prepare to find someone to fill in for you during your absence
- Reschedule a meeting to be held at another time
- Rearrangement of tasks to be redistributed
Having sufficient time for planning for your absence prevents any negative impact on the team or business because of your absence.
4. Have a plan to get your work done
If you have a plan in place to complete all your important and urgent tasks at hand, leaving work early or getting a half-day off is often not an issue.
Often you are tasked to complete a set amount of work within a certain deadline, and if granting you a half-day off will lead to the deadline being overdue or an important task not being performed, your boss will find it difficult to approve your off.
Suggestions to get your work done
- If you are taking the second half of the day off, you can come into work early, so that you can complete most of your tasks before taking your half-day off.
- If you are taking the first half of the day off, you can leave later during the second half of the day, so that you can complete most of the tasks that you’ve put off during the first half of the day.
- If your work permits, you can work remotely while you are out.
- You can also try to get more work done on the day before so that you can complete the things you’ll need to do during your half-day off.
5. Don’t make it a habit
Taking off on short notice is not a good habit and you want to avoid being recognized as the person in the office where you always miss work. Employees who always take off on short notice are often seen as a person that is unreliable, unresponsible, and even untrustworthy.
If you are going to miss work or take off at work, make an effort to make up for the lost time and minimize the need for your colleagues to pick up your slack while you are out from work.
Although sometimes you do have unforeseen circ*mstances where you need to take time off on short notice, you should only ask for the time off when it is truly unavoidable.
Balance your work commitment and your personnel commitment.
When you know you’ll be missing work on a certain day, get approvals for your leave early, and make all the necessary arrangements so that your absence from work will not lead to extra work for the team and affect the organization.
Requesting Half-Day Leave At Work with Examples
Depending on your company’s policy, some companies may allow you to request half-day off verbally, while others may be required to formally request half a day off at work through an email, or online form.
Requesting for Half-Day Off Work Verbally In-Person
It is not uncommon that some companies allow employees to request a half-day off work verbally without any written document. Generally, most company policy is to grant half-days off as long as there is no major work backlog.
If you feel that your situation warrants a variance from this policy, here is an example of how you can request a half-day off at work.
Just knock on the door of your boss or during your one-on-one meeting with your boss, you can say the following:
“I will like to request to take off on [Date] for the [First or Second Half of the Day] as I [Your Reason]. To make up for the lost time, I plan to [What are the things you will plan to make up for the lost time]. During the off, I will be contactable through my phone. Thanks for understanding.”
Request for Half-Day Off Work Formally Through Email or Writing
Most people know that they are allowed a half-day off work for personal reasons, but some people may not be aware of the formal way to request one.
If you need to take a half-day off work for personal reasons, you can do so by emailing your boss or writing an official request.
Requesting Half-Day Leave At Work (Template)
Following this template will help you ensure higher success in getting a half-day off work.
Subject Line: Request for Half-Day Leave on [Date]
Hi[Boss’s Name],
I will like to request a half-day off on [date]due to[reason].
Currently, the projects I am handling are on track and there is no presentation to give on the [Date of the requested half-day off].
Will it be great if I can use my earned time off for my half-day off?
Please let me know if this is ok
Kind Regards,
[Your Name]
Requesting Half-Day Leave At Work (Example)
There are many ways you can write a form email to your boss to ask for a half-day leave from work, but here are a few examples you can use.
Half-Day Leave At Work Due to Personal Work
Subject Line: Request for Half-Day Leave on [Date]
Hi[Boss’s Name],
I will like to request morning/ afternoon off on [date]due tosome personal work. I’ll be working during the morning/ afternoon, and during the off-hours, I will be contactable on my mobile for any urgent matters.
Will appreciate it if you can permit me the half-day off, thank you for understanding.
Kind Regards,
[Your Name]
Half-Day Leave At Work Due to Doctor Appointment
Subject Line: Request for Half-Day Off on [Date] for Doctor’s Appointment
Hi[Boss’s Name],
I will like to inform you that I’ll be having a doctor’s appointment on [Date] at [Time] regarding my health issue.
I’ll be working in the morning/ afternoon, but will need to request a half-day leave in the morning/ afternoon of [Date].
During which, I’ll be contactable on the phone for any urgent matters.
Thank you for your understanding.
Regards,
[Your Name]
Half-Day Leave At Work Due to Health Issue
Subject Line: Request for Half-Day Off Today due to Health Issue
Hi[Boss’s Name],
I will like to request an afternoon offas I am not feeling well and it seems to get worst. Thus, I will like your permission to take a half-day off today in the afternoon.
Thank you for your understanding.
Regards,
[Your Name]
Read Also:
- 7 Signs of Gaslighting at Work (and How To Deal With Them)
- 9 Good Reasons to Call in Sick and Miss Work at the Last Minute (with Examples)
- How to Ask Boss to Leave Work Early? (With Examples)
- 20 Good Excuses to Leave Work Early On Short Notice (Must Read!)
- How to Call in Sick to Work Professionally (with Examples)
Joinover 3,000+ achievers who are committed to achieving their career goals!
A.C.
A.C is the Founder of HQHire. Sharing his experience as a management professional in a Fortune 500 Company, he talks about real-world career advice on job search, career advancement, and hiring the right people for the team. As the Founder and editor, he works with career experts to provide working professionals with realistic and actionable career advice that can help even the average joe in the corporate world to achieve success in their career.He is on a mission to provide actionable and reliable information that can create a positive change for each of his readers. Currently, A.C. is authoring a new book that will helps individuals to get out of procrastination and unlock their hidden talents.
