Leave holiday ask to boss
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Answer:
You’d like to take time off work — maybe to take on a fellowship, go on a long trip, or spend time with family — but you don’t have the vacation days to cover the time away. How do you ask your boss — and HR — for an unpaid leave? How can you find out if others in your company have done this before? Does the purpose of the break need to be work-related? What would make your case more appealing to your manager?
What the Experts Say
In most companies, if you want to ask for extended time off, it needs to be done delicately. “This is a complex negotiation, in some respects more complex than negotiating a salary,” says Jeff Weiss, author of the HBR Guide to Negotiating and president of Lesley University. You have to be especially thoughtful and “get creative” because your request may fall outside of the company’s stated benefits and policies. But just because it’s out of the ordinary, doesn’t mean it’s not possible. “People negotiate unpaid leaves a lot,” says Denise Rousseau, professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business and author of I-Deals: Idiosyncratic Deals Workers Bargain for Themselves, “and they do get them.” Here’s some advice on how to successfully ask for your unpaid leave.
Know your value and the risks
Before you make the request, make sure you understand the value you bring to the organization. It’ll be easier to get people on board if they are keen to keep you. At the same time, if you are indispensable, they might be hesitant to let you step away. Reflect on any long-term goals the company may have for you and how they would be affected — positively or negatively — by this time off. Consider, too, the personal risks: You might miss out on opportunities while you’re away, and an extended leave could count against you when a promotion is on the table. If you conclude that you’re in a good position to ask for the leave, it’s time to proceed.