Sick leave email
Two sentences of fact, one line of cover: the sick-day email that gives your manager what they need and nothing they don't.
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Your email
SubjectSick leave — today, Thursday 4 September
How to use it well
- →You owe the facts of absence, not the details of illness — "unwell" is a complete explanation.
- →The coverage line is what separates a professional sick note from a disappearance: name the one thing that breaks today and who holds it.
- →Send it before your workday starts if you can; the earlier it lands, the easier the cover is to arrange.
Part by part
- I'm unwell and won't be able to work {{date}}
- States the fact without detail. Your employer needs the absence and the date, not a description of symptoms.
- I expect to be back {{return_day}}
- An expected return, which is what lets other people plan. It is the most useful line for whoever has to cover.
- I'll let you know if that changes
- Sets the expectation of an update, so nobody has to chase you while you are ill.
- {{cover}}
- A slot for anything urgent and who is handling it. Two lines here prevents most of the messages that would otherwise arrive during the day.
Common mistakes
Describing symptoms in detail.Unnecessary and, in many places, more than your employer is entitled to ask for. Unwell and a date is the complete required content.
Apologising repeatedly for being ill.Frames sickness as a failing, which it is not, and invites reassurance you did not need. One line stating the absence is more professional than three apologising for it.
Offering to work anyway from bed.Sets a precedent that sick leave means reduced availability rather than absence, and the work is usually worse. If something genuinely cannot wait, name it in the cover line instead.
Questions
How much detail is my employer entitled to?
Generally that you are unwell and unable to work, plus expected duration. Specific medical information is usually not required, and in many jurisdictions employers are limited in what they may ask.
When do I need a doctor's note?
It varies by contract and country — self-certification for a few days is common, with certification required beyond that. Worth knowing before you need it rather than looking it up while ill.
Should I send it to the whole team?
Your manager, plus anyone directly blocked. A wider send is unnecessary and turns a routine absence into an announcement.
What if I do not know when I will be back?
Say that, and give a point at which you will update — tomorrow morning, for instance. An honest unknown with a check-in time is far more useful than an optimistic date that slips.