FREE TOOL · TIME OFF
PTO request email generator
Pick your dates once. Get the email to your manager, a short Slack message and a summary to paste into Jira, with the working days counted and public holidays left out.
Your request
8 working days, back on Monday, January 4, 2027
Email to your manager
PTO request: Maya, Dec 21 to Jan 1
Hi Alex, I'd like to take time off from Monday, December 21, 2026 to Friday, January 1, 2027. That is 8 working days of PTO, since December 25 and January 1, 2027 are public holidays. I'll be back on Monday, January 4, 2027. Sam Lee has agreed to cover for me. Sam will run the release on December 22. Handover notes: - https://example.atlassian.net/wiki/x/handover Does that work for you? I can move the dates if the timing is bad. Thanks, Maya
Slack message
Hi Alex, I've sent you a PTO request for Mon, Dec 21 to Fri, Jan 1 (8 working days, back Mon, Jan 4). Sam Lee will cover.
Jira summary and description
Vacation: Maya, Mon, Dec 21 to Fri, Jan 1 (8 working days)
Type: Vacation Dates: Mon, Dec 21, 2026 to Fri, Jan 1, 2027 Back on: Mon, Jan 4, 2027 Working days: 8 (64 hours at 8 a day) Public holidays in the range, not counted: Fri, Dec 25, 2026; Fri, Jan 1, 2027 Cover: Sam Lee Plan: Sam will run the release on December 22. Handover: - https://example.atlassian.net/wiki/x/handover
What the example shows
Maya asks for December 21, 2026 to January 1, 2027. That is ten weekdays, but December 25 and January 1 are US federal holidays, so the request is for 8 working days of PTO, not 10. She is back on Monday, January 4. The email says all of this in its first paragraph, names Sam as cover, gives the handover page, and asks one plain question. That is what a manager needs to say yes.
Template pages make you count those days yourself. Get the count wrong and the approved request no longer matches your balance. Here the count follows the country you pick (37 calendars, each from a government list), and the day back skips a holiday too.
How much notice to give
Your contract or leave policy comes first. Without one, the defaults differ by country.
- UK. GOV.UK: “The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take, plus 1 day.” So 3 days of notice for 1 day off, and 11 for 5. The law behind it is regulation 15 of the Working Time Regulations 1998, and a contract can change it. An employer can refuse, with as much notice as the leave asked for, plus 1 day. Pick the UK option and the tool shows the date to send by.
- US. The Department of Labor: the FLSA “does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations”, and these benefits “are matters of agreement between an employer and an employee”. So notice is set by your employer’s policy. Check the handbook.
For minimum paid leave in 28 countries, see paid vacation by country. For how many days is normal in the US, see PTO days by industry and the PTO days checker.
Sick leave: say less where many people read
Your manager needs to know you are unwell and when you expect to be back. Your team and a Jira issue do not need the reason. So for sick leave the email and the Slack message to your manager say “sick”, and the Jira summary says only “Time off”. Whether sick days come out of the same bank as vacation depends on your state and your policy: sick leave vs PTO lists 21 state laws.
Before you send
- Check your balance covers the working days, not the calendar days.
- Ask the person covering first, and give them the handover page.
- Put the dates in the team calendar once it is approved.
- On your last day, switch on an automatic reply: the out of office message generator writes it from the same dates.
- Your company uses a form? Our time off request form guide lists what it should ask, field by field.
Request and approve leave inside Jira
OutSync turns this email into a request in Jira or Confluence: your manager approves it there, your balance updates, and the Who's out panel on the board shows when you are back. Sick leave shows only as “out”. Approved leave can go into your team’s Google Calendar.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice should I give for PTO?
Whatever your contract or policy says comes first. In the UK the default is at least twice the leave plus 1 day, so 11 days of notice for 5 days off (GOV.UK). US federal law sets no notice rule for vacation; it is up to the employer. Two to four weeks for a week off is common; say what you need as early as you can.
What should the subject line of a PTO request email say?
The kind of request, your name and the dates, so a manager can find it later: “PTO request: Maya, Dec 21 to Jan 1”. The generator writes it for you.
Do I have to say why I need the time off?
For vacation and personal days, usually not: PTO is yours to use. The personal day text gives no reason. For sick leave, tell your manager you are unwell; you do not need to share details.
Should I ask in Slack or by email?
Ask where your team records approvals. Many teams want the email or a ticket, so there is a record, and a short chat message so it is seen quickly. The tool gives both, plus a Jira summary.
Do public holidays count as PTO days?
Usually not: a public holiday is already a day off, so a request across it uses fewer PTO days. Pick your country and the tool leaves its 2026 and 2027 public holidays out of the count and names them in the email.
Is what I type sent anywhere?
No. The texts are written in your browser. Your name, dates, links and Jira key are not sent, logged or stored. Copy uses your browser’s clipboard.