Vacation request email with dates, cover and a handover plan
You want two weeks off in summer and need your manager's OK before you book flights. Requests get approved faster when they arrive early and already answer the questions a manager has: exact dates, how many days you are using, who covers your work and what you will finish before you go. This prompt has your todo.is agent write it that way.
The prompt
- Write a vacation request email to [MANAGER NAME] asking for time off from [FIRST DAY OFF] to [LAST DAY OFF]. Count the working days I will use, excluding weekends and public holidays in [YOUR COUNTRY OR STATE], and state the number. My cover plan: [WHO COVERS WHAT]. List what I will finish before I go: [TASKS TO FINISH]. Mention that I will log the request in [HR SYSTEM] once approved. Keep it under 150 words, positive and clear, with the dates in the subject line. If my Google Calendar is connected, check for meetings or deadlines during those dates and list them for me. Save the email as a Gmail draft and do not send it.
What to change
- [MANAGER NAME]: E.g. "Sarah".
- [FIRST DAY OFF]: E.g. "Monday 4 August".
- [LAST DAY OFF]: E.g. "Friday 15 August".
- [YOUR COUNTRY OR STATE]: E.g. "Spain" or "Ontario", so public holidays are counted correctly.
- [WHO COVERS WHAT]: E.g. "Marta covers client emails, Jon covers the weekly report".
- [TASKS TO FINISH]: E.g. "the July close and the onboarding guide".
- [HR SYSTEM]: E.g. "Personio" or "the HR portal". Write "skip" if your company uses email only.
Example result
- The email
- Subject: Vacation request: 4 to 15 August
- Hi Sarah,
- I would like to request vacation from Monday 4 August to Friday 15 August. That is 9 working days of leave, as 15 August is a public holiday.
- To keep things running while I am away:
- • Marta will cover client emails and urgent requests
- • Jon will send the weekly report on both Mondays
- • I will brief them both the week before
- Before I leave, I will finish the July month-end close and the new onboarding guide.
- If these dates work, I will log the request in Personio. Happy to adjust if they clash with anything I am not aware of.
- Thanks,
- Daniel
- Flagged from your calendar (not in the email)
- • 6 August: quarterly review with client Arbor. Ask Sarah whether Marta can run it or whether it should move
- How to get vacation approved
- • Ask early. For summer and December, many teams decide months ahead
- • Check team calendars for colleagues already off on the same dates
- • Avoid known peaks like month-end, launches or busy season, or explain your cover plan for them
- • Offer flexibility if your dates are not fixed yet
- After approval
- • Add it to the team calendar
- • Set an out-of-office reply the evening before you leave
- • Write a short handover note with open tasks and contacts
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your manager, dates, country and cover plan.
- Paste it into todo.is with Google connected, so your agent can check your calendar for clashes.
- You get the request with your days counted and a list of meetings that fall in your time off.
- Send it, and once approved ask your agent: "set my out-of-office and remind me to write a handover note on 31 July".
Tips for a better result
- Ask before you book anything non-refundable. Approval first, flights second.
- Count working days, not calendar days. It is the number your manager and HR care about.
- Name your cover people, and ask them before you write the email.
- For long trips, propose a short check-in rule, such as "only for emergencies, by text", or say clearly that you will be offline.
vacation request email: FAQ
- How far in advance should I request vacation? Check your company policy. Two to four weeks is common for short leave, and a few months ahead for long summer or holiday-season breaks.
- What should a vacation request email include? The exact dates, the number of working days, who will cover your work and what you will finish before you leave.
- Can my employer refuse my vacation request? In many places employers can refuse specific dates for business reasons, but rules on paid leave differ by country and contract. Check your local rules and policy.
- Does todo.is count public holidays? Your agent looks up the public holidays for the country or state you give and counts working days for you. Double-check against your company calendar.
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