When you need this

Vacation is planned, so the conversation is calmer than a sick day, but it still needs care. You ask early, you check the team calendar, and you show that your work won't fall apart while you're gone. The request itself is one sentence; the rest is about the handover.

In American offices you'll hear "vacation days", "time off" and "PTO", which stands for paid time off. They mostly mean the same thing. British coworkers say "holiday" for the same idea. Americans use "the holidays" for the end of the year, around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.

Phrases

not work for a period, usually planned

the polite, clear request

the paid days off you get each year

paid time off; the days your company pays you not to work

ask formally, often in an online system

checks your absence won't cause trouble

you won't be at work

you won't read email or messages

the automatic email people get while you're away

give your tasks to someone else for a while

the day you return

what coworkers say before you leave

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Practice · 3 min

Say the line that fits. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.