There are a number of types of letters to excuse someone due to illness:
- a parent advising the school the reason for a student's absence
- an employee providing a record of their reason for absence
- a medical professional providing an employee a letter for their employer
- a medical professional providing the court with a reason for a person's absence
- a letter for the purpose of recouping money, such as a deposit for a reservation
There are miscellaneous other reasons, but each of these would follow the same format:
- Paragraph 1, to state the reason for the letter, including the name of the party (or yourself) needing the excuse due to illness.
- Paragraph 2, to state the reason that illness did not allow the person's presence. This should only include enough information to support the absence and not specific personal information. For example, a parent or medical professional might say, 'It was my determination that xxx could not be present at...', without disclosing other information. In the case of a parent, if there is a contagious illness involved, that specific should be included in the letter because a school needs that information in the event that the school may need to take measures protect other students or advise the parents of other students.
- Paragraph 3 advises the recipient how to contact the writer for additional information if necessary.
Please note that some companies may require a doctor's statement in addition to the letter for absences due to medical reasons.
