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Request for unpaid leave by agreement with your employer (Great Britain)
England, Scotland and Wales · in English · for employees
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12 questions · about 5 min
Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
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For an employee in England, Wales or Scotland who needs time off beyond their holiday — a long trip, a family matter, study — and wants their employer's agreement: a letter asking for unpaid leave between two dates, with the return date, and asking the employer to confirm in writing your return to the same job and what happens to holiday, pension and benefits. There is no general right to unpaid leave; carer's leave, parental leave and time off for dependants are separate statutory rights. Hand it in and email it.
- Made for use in England, Scotland and Wales
- Last updated October 29, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- You want a month away for a long trip but your paid holiday in England will not cover it.
- A family matter abroad means you need several weeks off work.
- You want unpaid time off to sit exams and to come back to the same job.
- You want to ask your employer in Wales or Scotland in writing for unpaid leave by agreement.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- Town or city
- Employee's postcode
- Date
- Person at your employer you are writing to, as you would greet them (e.g. Priya Patel)
- Employer
- Employer's postal address (street and number, postcode and town on separate lines)
- First day of the leave
- Last day of the leave
- Date of return
- Reason for the leave (optional)
Common questions
- Is there a right to unpaid leave from work in Great Britain?
- Not in general: unpaid leave for a trip, study or a personal matter depends on your employer's agreement or your contract. Three statutory rights are separate: carer's leave (up to one week in 12 months, from your first day), unpaid parental leave (up to 18 weeks for each child under 18, a day-one right since 6 April 2026) and reasonable time off for dependants in an emergency.
- What is time off for dependants, and do I have to ask in writing?
- It is a right to reasonable unpaid time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant — a child, partner, parent or someone who relies on you — such as a sudden illness or a breakdown in childcare (section 57A of the Employment Rights Act 1996). You tell your employer the reason and how long you expect to be away as soon as you reasonably can; no form or written notice is required, and no length of service.
- Does agreed unpaid leave affect my holiday, pension or length of service?
- That depends on what you agree, which is why the letter asks your employer to confirm it in writing: whether holiday builds up during the leave, what happens to pension contributions and other benefits, and the date you return to the same job. While your contract of employment continues during the leave, the weeks count towards your continuous employment (section 212 of the Employment Rights Act 1996).
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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