An absence note for a doctor appointment is a formal notification to your supervisor or employer when you have to miss work for a doctor appointment. You might be sick, or you might just be attending your regular checkups. All in all, if you are going to miss work for a doctor’s appointment, then you should write an absence note for a doctor appointment.
It depends on your companies’ policies with regard to missing work. Some will appreciate verbal confirmation if you are going to attend a doctor’s appointment and cannot be at work. However, most companies require written documentation of the same. That is where the absence note for a doctor’s appointment comes in.
Let our article guide you in writing this absence note for a doctor’s appointment.
Benefits of Writing an Absence Note
As a sick employee, your wish is to get medical care, and having to miss work and cancel appointments to attend a doctor appointment is understandable. However, it is only a polite gesture for you to inform your employers through an absence note for a doctor appointment. This way, you remain respectful towards your employer or supervisor.
Here are some of the significance of writing an absence note for a doctor appointment:
It shows respect towards your bosses
As a sick employee, writing an absence note for a doctor appointment shows that you respect your work and your employers. It would be best if you, therefore, avoided missing work without informing your supervisor or employer.
It serves as a reminder to your bosses
Your doctor appointment might be regular checkups. This means you might have to miss work on several instances. Writing an absence note for a doctor appointment reminds your bosses of your upcoming absence. As a sick employee, you reduce any inconveniences that may be caused by your absence since your employer is already aware of when you will miss work.
Future reference for work performance
When checking on your employee work performance, you tend to avoid any issues since your missed workdays are accounted for. Ensure you write an absence note for a doctor appointment to have a reference document. This portrays you as a hardworking and responsible person.
Requirements of Requesting a Leave for Doctor’s Appointment
As a sick employee, try and be aware of what your company or organization requires when it comes to absence notes for a doctor’s appointment. In case of regularly scheduled doctor appointments, you may have to inform your supervisor or employer in advance. Most employers would appreciate learning ahead of time about your upcoming absence to prepare themselves better. Also, it is an even better guarantee that you will get excused from work. In such cases, failure to inform your supervisor earlier might count as a disciplinary issue that may end up as disciplinary action if you do it frequently.
Sometimes a doctor’s appointment might be an emergency. In such a situation, you will need to write a letter after you are back. It is necessary to be timely about it since some employers only offer limited time for such an explanation.
Remember
Your company or organization might require a written and signed note, fax, verbal communication, or even a text.
Ensure you send in the note as soon as you return to work. Also, apart from providing the absence note for a doctor appointment, your company or organization might require you to attach your appointment documentation. This means that you will need to access a signed note from your doctor confirming that you had an appointment.
Workplace absence policies
Workplace absence policies vary from one place to another. Ensure you are aware of your current workplace absence policies. Avoid making assumptions that they are similar to your previous workplace. Ask and be informed to avoid any troubles. Also, these policies regarding an absence note for a doctor appointment might change. The safest way, therefore, is always to inform your supervisor or employer about your medical appointments. One week’s notice is proper and preferred when telling your employer.
If you are dealing with a project that needs you fully, informing your supervisor earlier is the wisest thing to do. Try and give your employer room to find a substitute for your position. If your employer or supervisor requires a written note, this might translate to either writing a letter or providing them a note from your doctor.
Notifying Your Supervisor about a Doctor’s Appointment
To notify your supervisor about your doctor’s appointment, have it in writing. This will provide a document that can be used as a reminder and for future reference. Ensure you structure the note (or letter) respectfully.
Also, be sincere in your letter and do not fail to add all the essential details that your boss should know. However, you do not have to give specific details of your doctor’s appointment. Just have a brief note that explains your absence from work.
Provide advance notice
Try as much as possible to give advance notice. It is way better to send an email or note with all your medical appointments instead of multiple ones every time a doctor appointment comes up. This way, your information is always available, and hence it decreases your manager’s or supervisor’s agitation about your absence.
By providing advance notice, you can help the manager or supervisor by mentioning:
There is no need to give details of the nature of your doctor’s appointment. However, a doctor’s note might be requested by your supervisor or employer.
Follow up
In some cases, based on a company’s or organization’s rules, you may be required to follow up your absence note for a doctor appointment with the Human Resource (HR) Department. Try and follow up with the timekeeping system and request this leave after submitting the absence note for a doctor appointment.
Your status will show that you are absent without permission until your request is submitted and approved in some workplaces. Do not get in trouble with the HR Department for failure to follow up and uphold these additional requirements. Ensure that your absence has been approved to avoid disciplinary issues.
Absence Note for a Doctor Appointment Samples
Sample doctor’s appointment Email
Subject: Rebecca Johnson (Your Name) – Doctor Appointment
Dear (Employer or Supervisor Name):
Kindly accept this letter as a written notice of my inability to attend work on [mention day(s) and date(s)] due to my already scheduled doctor appointment.
[This is for advance notice. For an excuse message, mention when you went for the doctor’s appointment and why you could not inform them earlier. Do not fail to apologize]
Please inform me if you require any extra documentation or information regarding my absence from work.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Johnson (Your Name)
Sample physician’s note
[Date]
Name of Physician
Address
To Whom It May Concern:
Please accept this note as written documentation that I [treated] or [had an appointment] with [Name of Sick Employee] in my office on [Day and Date plus Time].
For further information, please free to content my office at [Phone Number/ Email Address].
Sincerely,
[Physician’s signature] {For a hard copy letter}
OR
Physician’s Typed Name.
Sample doctor’s visit letter
Date
[Your Name]
[Your Job Title]
Address
Dear (Mr. /Ms. Last Name)
Kindly accept this letter as written documentation of my inability to attend work on [Day and Date] due to my previously scheduled doctor appointment.
Please feel free to let me know if you need any further documentation and information.
Sincerely
[Your Signature]
[Your Typed Name]
Free Templates
Following are free ‘absence note for a doctor appointment’ samples and templates that can be edited after downloading them.
Employers understand when their employee has to miss work for a particular cause or reason. When it comes to missing work due to your health, as a sick employee, you need to inform them about your medical appointments. Ensure you write an absence note for a doctor appointment as a notification document. You can either provide an advance notice way before the doctor craft an excuse message as soon as you are back from the appointment.
It is wise and safest to write an absence note for a doctor appointment to inform your supervisor of your medical appointments. Do not overshare your medical appointment details in your note. In some cases, try and provide a doctor’s note to back up your medical appointment. Use our article to help you in writing an absence note for a doctor appointment. Also, try our Free absence note for a doctor appointment Templates today
Additional Tips to Consider Throughout the Process
There are a few key guidelines that can not be reiterated enough to remember throughout the process of requesting a doctor’s appointment leave from work.
They include;
Avoiding requesting too many leaves
Avoid making a habit of being absent, especially if it is not urgent or necessary. With advance notice and no cause to doubt your absence, due to early and proper notification to your bosses, you are sure that your work performance will remain outstanding.
Sending an excuse message
An excuse message is an absence note for a doctor appointment after you are back from the appointment. Such instances might be an emergency, and a proper explanation to the employer will suffice. Ensure you write an email or letter immediately after you are back.
Offer your apologies, state your reason for missing work, state how you plan to recover the missed time, and then thank them in the closing part.
Common phrases to utilise
Whether it is an advance notice or excuse message, these are some of the phrases you can use in your absence note for a doctor appointment:
- I will be absent from (day and date) to (day and date) due to my doctor’s appointment. I have been under the weather, and my doctor would like to run some tests.
- I have a weekly doctor appointment every (state the day) at (time)…
- I would like to schedule my doctor’s appointment in advance to avoid any inconveniences. Here is my schedule for the various doctor appointments I will have this month.
- I have been sickly of late and my doctor has organized some appointments to try and get to the bottom of this. I have tried to schedule these appointments to avoid missing work but it has not been possible. To avoid any more inconveniences, here is a list of all my doctor appointments [mention date and time of each]
- I am late for several doctor appointments and I would like to let you know in advance that I will be coming to the office late due to these medical appointments. I will inform you about each appointment as soon as I have the dates and times from my doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days can you be absent without a doctor’s note?
Most employers do not request a doctor’s note unless the sick employee is absent from work for three or more consecutive days.
Can you miss work for a doctor’s appointment?
Yes, you can miss work for a doctor’s appointment! However, an employer has no obligation to give you time off for your doctor appointment. You may need to schedule your appointment during non-office hours or when on leave.
In case you miss work for a doctor’s appointment, always write an absence note for a doctor appointment to avoid being viewed as incompetent. This will help assure the employer of your plans to recover the missed time.