How to Ask Boss to Leave Work Early? (With Examples)

There are many good reasons why you need to leave work early or call in sick at the last minute, but you need to communicate your request clearly.

Sometimes you may have personal obligations that interfere with your work schedules. When that happens, leaving work early is generally acceptable upon approval by your employer.

We will look at how can we effectively ask your boss to leave work early with examples that you can use to format your request.

How to Ask to Leave Work Early

Similar to calling in sick for work, you’ll need to ask to leave work early professionally. If you want to ask for time off from your work, you can consider some of these steps.

1. Choose a Format

The format where you can use to ask your employer to leave work early depends on your working environment.

Working onsite in Office

If you are working in the office, you can just give your employer a call or drop by his office to make the request.

Working Remotely

If you are working from home or conducting your work remotely, you can probably schedule a virtual meeting or send an email to inform your employer about your request.

2. Consider Your Reason for the Request

Even when your employer wants to let you leave work early, the reason you give has to make logical sense.

Your employer may need to explain to his or her superior why they let you leave work early.

Top excuses that let you leave work early are,

1. Having a sick child and informing your boss that you need to send them home from school or daycare.
2. Medical reasons that you need to go home and rest.
3. Appointments or events that you need to prepare early.

But if you need specific believable reasons to leave work early, you can check out some of the best reasons to give to your boss and leave work early and professionally in my other article here.

3. Notice Your Employer Early

Giving a sufficient notice period to your employer for your upcoming absence is a form of respect for your work and your employer. 

Your employer needs to have enough time to arrange your replacement and approve your request. A notice of at least a week or more will be reasonable.

But if it is an urgent request that requires you to leave work immediately, inform your employer as soon as you know the information.

How to Negotiate For Leaving Work Early?

Negotiating to leave work early is possible with a little bit of planning, common sense, and timing your request right. But there are 3 main steps for a successful negotiation.

• First, you will need to have a solid reason for why you need to leave early.
• Second, try to offer up a solution that will alleviate any potential problems for your boss.
• Third, be willing to compromise on other aspects of your job.

When it comes to negotiating for leaving work early, there are a few key points to keep in mind.

What you should do when negotiating with your boss to leave work early?

• Show compassion and understanding for your boss. Understand their goals and arrange your work around them.
• Be proactive. Think of different plans and solutions on how you can best complete your task at hand and present these solutions to your boss during the negotiation.
• Build relationships with people around you. Building a good relationship with people around you so they can be your support when help is required.

What you should not do when negotiating with your boss to leave work early?

• Avoid talking about your personal views and the troubles you face outside your work. You can mention them but don’t dwell on them. Just be honest about your family obligations.
• Avoid being rigid. You’ll need to think outside of the box and be creative with solutions on how to get your work done. It can be having remote working arrangements or flexible hours arrangements. Most important is to be open to options.
• Avoid being too emotional. There are chances that your boss might not want to listen or accommodate your request. Don’t get all defensive and become too emotional. Be objective about the issue and come together to find a solution that works for both of you.

Request To Leave Work Early Template

Here are some templates you can use to ask your boss or manager to leave work early when required.

How to Ask For Permission to Leave Work Early (Sample)

Below are some simple examples of how you can tell your boss or manager you need to leave work early.

Up Next… Tips on working from home for parents with kids

“How to negotiate?”

Check out this video below!