Sickness During Annual Leave — Holiday Return Request Letter: Free Template and What to Include

If you need to request that days you were ill during annual leave are returned to your entitlement, a written letter is the recommended first step — it creates a clear record and shows you're pursuing the matter formally. Below is what a strong sickness during annual leave — holiday return request should include.

What this letter needs to cover

• State that annual leave is for rest, so leave you were sick during can be taken at another time
• Attach or offer medical evidence
• Request the specific days are returned to annual leave entitlement

Your right to reclaim leave lost to sickness

If you become ill during a period of pre-booked annual leave, you're entitled to have those days reclassified as sick leave rather than annual leave, and to take the annual leave at another time — this is a well-established right, not something your employer can refuse simply because the leave was already booked and approved.

What to include before you send it

• The specific dates of annual leave affected by illness
• Medical evidence supporting the sickness, in line with your employer's normal sickness reporting requirements
• A clear request for those days to be returned to your annual leave entitlement
• A proposed timeframe for taking the returned leave

Following normal sickness notification rules still matters

You're still expected to follow your employer's usual sickness reporting process — notifying them promptly and providing appropriate evidence (self-certification or a fit note, depending on duration) — even though you happen to be on annual leave rather than at work when you fall ill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a doctor's note for every day of illness during leave?
This follows your employer's normal sickness policy — typically self-certification for shorter periods and a fit note for longer ones, exactly as it would for ordinary sickness absence.

What if my employer refuses to return the days?
This is a well-established legal right stemming from case law, so a clear refusal without good reason is worth challenging further, including through a formal grievance if necessary.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Postcode]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your Email Address]
[Name of Employer or HR Manager]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Company Postcode]
[Date]

Dear [Name of Employer or HR Manager],

Subject: Request to take back annual leave lost to sickness

I am writing to ask that [number, e.g. 3] days of my recent annual leave be treated as sick leave, because I was ill during my holiday.

My annual leave was from [start date] to [end date]. I became ill on [date] and was unwell until [date]. Annual leave is for rest, so leave I was sick during can be taken at another time.

I have attached my [fit note / self-certification] covering my illness from [date] to [date].

Please credit the [number] days back to my annual leave so that I can take them later, and let me know whether the sickness period will be paid as [Statutory Sick Pay / company sick pay].

Yours sincerely,

[Your Signature]
[Your Printed Name]