How To Write A Sick Day Email Message (With Examples)

CAREER DEVELOPMENT
How to Write a Sick Day Email

Message (With Examples)
November 6, 2018
If you’re sick, it can be necessary to take time off from work—both to rest
and recover and to protect your colleagues from anything contagious.
When you take a sick day, it is important to communicate that you’ll be
out of the office to necessary stakeholders like your managers, coworkers
and clients.
In this guide, we discuss how you should effectively communicate your

sick day to people at work by sending a sick day email.
Why you should write a sick day email

Writing an informative sick day email should accomplish a few things. It
should inform key colleagues that you will be taking the day off, whether
or not you will be active during your sick day and how they can proceed
while you are away.
Proactively communicating this information will help business run

smoothly while you are sick, show your colleagues and managers that you
are responsible, and help you recover without additional stress.
Related: Good and Bad Excuses for Missing Work
How to write a sick day email

Different jobs and industries have varying protocol for sick days,
especially for shift jobs that require your work to be covered when clients
or tight schedules are involved. Be sure to familiarize yourself with your
company’s sick leave policies, including how if affects your pay, whether
or not you have to accrue a certain amount of hours, and what you are
expected to do when taking a sick day.
When preparing for a sick day, make sure you contact your manager first
in case they have specific instructions about the next steps. You should let
your manager know as soon as possible—ideally the night before or early
in the morning. If you are able, you might consider calling them if it is a
reasonable hour and this is considered an acceptable form of
communication.
If not, you should send them an email with the following information:
1. Your condition and how long you expect to be out of the
office. It is always helpful to have information from a doctor but having a
high temperature or being sick in some other way that might be
contagious or prevent you from being productive are all good reasons to
take a sick day. You should also include how long you expect to be out, if
possible. If you’ve visited a doctor, they might prescribe a certain amount
of time off. Here’s an example email beginning:
“Hi Bonnie,
I’m writing to let you know that I developed a fever last night. I hoped it
would go away by this morning, but it looks like I’m still above normal
temperatures. I expect to be back in the office tomorrow, given my
temperature goes back to normal.”
2. Whether or not you will be actively working from

home. Workplaces have different policies and cultures around what you
should do when you take a sick day. While some employers may
encourage you to work from home, others might tell you to rest and stay
offline for the day.
If you’re unsure, offer to work from home if you are able and see if you
manager instructs you otherwise. If you are unable to work, do not feel
guilty about taking the day off. This way, you can focus on getting healthy
to return to work sooner rather than later. Here’s an example for
indicating whether you plan to work from home:
“I’m going to stay home today to make sure I don’t spread a cold around
the office. I will work as I am able, but I’ve asked Cynthia if she can be my
backup today just in case.”
3. What work you need help with. If you have an important deadline,
project or presentation that day, work with your manager to ensure that
things are rescheduled or work reassigned so that things can still move
forward in your absence. Provide them with as much context and detailed
instruction as possible For example:
“I am scheduled to give an employee training today at 3 pm–I’ve asked

our other trainers if anyone is else is available at this time. If not, I’ve
asked the coordinator if we can reschedule it for next week. Following up
with the trainers and coordinators in this case would be greatly
appreciated.”
4. A colleague who can help cover your work while you are out. If
you are able, it is helpful if you can find a colleague to back you up when
you are out in case of emergency. Sometimes your manager will handle
finding someone to cover your work while you are out, so tailor your
message to what you know are common practices in your workplace. For
example:
“I have briefed Cynthia on my current workload and have asked her to
help out in the case that anything comes up. I don’t expect any
urgencies.”
After you’ve let your manager know, follow any instruction they provide
on next steps and communicating to other colleagues. In many cases,
they might just tell you to rest and step up to handle the rest. It is
important to balance making sure you are proactive and responsible when
taking a sick day while also making it a priority to rest, heal and get
better.
Related: The Do's and Don'ts of Taking a Sick Day
Writing an out of office message

In addition to writing a sick day email for your manager and colleagues, it
is also helpful to set up an out of office automatic response. This way,
people are immediately informed that you are not in the office and know
what they can expect after their email to you. This message will go to
everyone that sends you an email, so you can be as conservative as you’d
like with information. For example, if you have clientele, you might just
say that you are out of the office instead of explaining that you are sick.
Here’s an example of an out of office response you might create when

taking a sick day:
Hello,
Thank you for reaching out. I’m away from the office today, so please
expect a delay in my response. If you have an emergency, please reach
out to my supervisor, Mary Mullins, at [email protected].
I will be back in the office for regular working hours this Wednesday, 12/5.
Thank you for your patience,
Juan Ramos
Sr. Account Executive
Sick day email example

Here is an example of a sick day email for your reference:
Hi Rajiv,
I wanted to let you know as soon as possible that I will be staying home
from work today. Unfortunately, I developed a stomach bug that has
made it very difficult to get work done. I went to urgent care last night
and was told it should subside within twenty-four hours. I do not expect to
be online throughout the day.
While I do expect to be back in the office tomorrow, I’ve asked Kelly to

take over for me today in case any emergencies arise. I do have an
important call scheduled with a supplier, but my account counterpart,
Daniel, has agreed to manage the meeting.
Please let me know if there are any additional steps you’d like me to take
to ensure the day runs as smoothly as possible in my absence.
Thank you for understanding,
Flora Jones
Related: 6 Acceptable Reasons to Call in Sick
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01Why you should write a sick day email02How to write a sick day
email03Writing an out of office message04Sick day email example
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What are the main points to include in a sick day email?

What are the main points to include in a sick day email?

What additional steps should be taken when taking a sick day?

What additional steps should be taken when taking a sick day?

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

How to Write a Sick Day Email

In this guide, we discuss how you should effectively communicate your

Why you should write a sick day email

Proactively communicating this information will help business run

Related: Good and Bad Excuses for Missing Work

How to write a sick day email

2. Whether or not you will be actively working from

“I am scheduled to give an employee training today at 3 pm–I’ve asked

Related: The Do's and Don'ts of Taking a Sick Day

Writing an out of office message

Here’s an example of an out of office response you might create when

Thank you for your patience,

Sick day email example

While I do expect to be back in the office tomorrow, I’ve asked Kelly to

Thank you for understanding,

Related: 6 Acceptable Reasons to Call in Sick

Learning Styles for Career

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