One of the more pleasant duties of a company manager or officer is writing a letter approving an employee’s request for a leave of absence or a vacation. Such requests can be taken for a variety of reasons, ranging from the necessity to consume accumulated leave to unexpected family emergencies that require the staff member to take some time off to deal with them. Most organizations require the employee to make a formal request that they are taking a leave. Once management has approved the request, a letter is written formalizing that approval. Copies of the letter are usually sent to the employee concerned, their immediate supervisor and the human resources department of the company.

The essential aspects of the letter are the statement of the approval, the start and end dates of the leave and any conditions attached it, such as the requirement to coordinate with their immediate superior as to who will take over their regular duties and the disposition of any urgent and pending tasks. The tone of the letter is formal but congratulatory, as the writer is delivering good news. However, if the leave is being taken for unhappy reasons, such as a death or illness in the family, the writer may also express their condolences or their hopes for a speedy recovery of the family member.

Below is a model letter approving a vacation leave that the writer can adopt to fit their own particular needs.

Sample Letter

March 10, 2010

Fisher Associates
Dallas, Texas
Email@server.net
www.company.net

Michael Goldsborough
Legal Department

Dear Mr. Goldsborough,

Greetings!
We have considered your request for a leave of absence to deal with certain personal matters, and we are pleased to inform you that it has been approved. Your leave is set to begin on March 15 and you are expected to return to the office by April 1. During the period in question, you will continue to receive your regular salary through direct deposit and be covered by the company health plan, subject to the terms and conditions set forth by our provider.

Please coordinate with your immediate supervisor regarding any pending work which has yet to be completed, as well as the handling of your regular responsibilities.
Best wishes for the speedy resolution of your family problems.

Sincerely yours,

Robert McNeill
Personnel Manager, Fisher Associates

In the course of doing business, companies occasionally need to convene special meetings to discuss matters of urgency. To inform staff of such meetings, a letter is written and issued containing the vital details of the meeting. The letters can be sent to staff individually or e-mailed. For smaller companies, the letter might simply be posted on the company bulletin board with employees required to sign at the bottom to certify that they have read the letter.

The essential elements of a letter informing staff about a special meeting are the subject of the meeting and the date, time and venue. If necessary, the letter may also include the agenda of the meeting to ensure that staff members are adequately prepared. The letter should also mention if staff members are required to prepare anything in advance for the meeting, such as particular data or reports. Finally, the letter should mention if attendance is mandatory or just highly encouraged, and if employees are required to give notice if for any reason they cannot attend.

The tone should be formal, as the purpose of the letter is purely informative. However, if the circumstances surrounding the convening of the meeting are particularly urgent, the letter should be written in such a way as not to worry the staff or affect their morale.
Here is a sample of a letter informing employees about a special meeting.

Sample Letter

December 5, 2010

Photocell Corporation
Irving, Texas
email@server.com
www.website.com

Subject: Special Meeting

Dear [name of employee]

Greetings!
As you all know, times have been hard lately for our country. There have been many recent developments in the economic and financial situation that are seen to impact the operations of our company. In light of these developments, we have decided to convene a special meeting of the staff to discuss measures we should take to deal with them. Please see the enclosed attachment for the agenda of the meeting.

The meeting will be held on December 10, 2 pm at Meeting Room C. If there is any information generated by your work that you feel could contribute significantly to our discussion, please feel free to bring it to the meeting.

Attendance is mandatory. However, if there are pending matters that prevent you from attending, please inform your supervisor beforehand.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas Nash
Executive Vice President, Photocell Corporation

Business anniversaries are important occasions for a company, since they provide officers and staff an occasion to celebrate its achievements. This is particularly vital if the company has reached a significant milestone, such as its 20th anniversary. These occasions are usually commemorated by a company event such as a special dinner or a barbecue.

While it is more convenient to send out invitations to such an event, it might be better for the company to mark such a milestone by sending out a letter reminding employees of this special occasion, which could be written and/or signed by the company president. Using a letter would highlight the importance of the occasion in the minds of staff members.

The important elements of a letter informing recipients of a business anniversary are a reminder of the exact date of the anniversary, the importance of the occasion and the date, time and venue of any celebrations held to mark the event.

Ideally, the letter should be no more than one page in length, although it does not necessarily have to be short. The tone should be cordial but not too informal. The opening salutation is not addressed to one particular individual but is a general salutation directed in general to all the employees of the company.

Below is a model of a letter informing staff members of a business anniversary that writers can adapt for their own use.

Sample Letter

September 10, 2010

Subject: Anniversary Event

To all staff members of Generic Company,

Ten years ago I, along with my partners, founded Generic. When we started, we had only four workers and a single delivery van. Today, we have already established factories in five states and are marketing our products abroad.

We are also providing over 5,000 jobs in the local community. These are not inconsiderable achievements at a time when the majority of companies fail within their first year. To mark this very special occasion, we are holding a company barbecue at the Hot Steers Grill on 21st Avenue starting at 4 pm on September 21. There will also be a live band performing starting at 8pm for those who would like to go dancing after dinner.

Attire is semi-formal and friends and family are welcome. If possible, however, please inform your supervisors beforehand of how many guests you intend to invite.

We hope to see you all there.

Sincerely yours,

John Smith
President, Generic Company

Regular meetings are a way of life at most companies, as departments constantly need to meet to set goals and review targets. Unfortunately, busy employees may forget about these routine meetings, requiring supervisors to remind them by writing a letter. These letters are purely formal in tone, and should be terse and to-the-point. They should also not include any extraneous details.

The most important elements of a letter informing staff members about a meeting are the date, time and place, which department members are expected to participate and the agenda of the meeting. The letter should also state what documents or reports staff members are required to prepare for the meeting.

The letter need not have a personalized opening salutation, since they are not addressed to individual staff members, although if desired, the printed letter can have the name of an employee typed beside the salutation. It also does not need to have a closing salutation although one can be included if desired.

Below is a sample letter reminding employees of a routine meeting that writers can adapt for their own use.

Sample Letter

May 10, 2010

Subject: Regular Monthly Meeting

Dear [name of employee],

Greetings!

As you know, our department holds regular monthly meetings to review our accomplishments for the past month and set new targets for the coming month. However, we have noticed lately that not all members of the department have been attending such meetings due to the pressure of work as well as prior commitments; thus we are sending this notice to remind you of the upcoming department meeting so that you can rearrange your schedule in advance.

This month’s meeting will be held on January 6, 10 a.m. at the mini-conference room. The agenda of the meeting is to assess sales of our recently-introduced product as well as to set new sales targets for our existing product line in the short and long-term. A more detailed agenda is enclosed with this letter.

In line with this, we request that concerned staff members prepare sales reports for the months of November and December, as well as any other relevant data. Attendance at the meeting is mandatory for all department staff. See you there.

Jim Jones
Head, Sales Department
Rockwell Company

In the course of business, shipments will sometimes be incomplete or incorrect. If this happens, formalize your request for a correction by writing a letter to the shipper. The tone of the letter should be professional and civil, and avoid being accusatory or making angry statements that you may later regret.

The essential elements of a letter notifying a shipper of an error are the identification of the mistake and the request for a correction. If there are any documents, such as a shipping manifest, which could help in clearing up the situation, they should also be mentioned in the letter and copies enclosed with it.

Always address the letter to the specific individual who can resolve the problem. Make the letter concise and to-the-point and avoid including extraneous details in order to avoid muddling the issue.

End the letter with an expression of hope that the situation could be resolved promptly. Also, you should include the name and number of a contact person in case the shipper has any clarifications or other concerns.

Below is a model letter notifying the shipper of an erroneous shipment, which the writer can adapt for their own needs.

Sample Letter

September 21, 2010

Paul Smith
Orders Manager
Soundtimes Group
Chicago, Illinois

George McAvity
Head, Shipments Department
Audiophiles Inc.
Chicago, Illinois

Dear Mr. McAvity,

Greetings!

This letter is in regard to your September 20, 2010 shipment to us, which we ordered from you on September 5. If you will recall, the order we made was for 250,000 units of Bosch earphones and 60,000 units of Denker speakers. However, upon examination at our warehouse, the shipment of earphones was found to be in excess of 50,000 units. The brand of speakers sent to us was also not the brand that we request.

We assume this is merely an oversight on your part; however, we are returning the erroneous shipment. Please send us the correct brand of speakers we ordered by the soonest time possible, as our client is already waiting for his order. We are also enclosing, for your information, a copy of the original sales invoice showing our correct order.

We would appreciate receiving the corrected order by September 25 at the latest. If there are any other concerns or clarifications, you may contact John Franken at 010-506-1010.

Thank you for your prompt action,

Respectfully yours,

Paul Smith
Shipments Manager
Soundtimes Group

If you are looking for applicants to fill an open position with your company, and there are several candidates that you are interested in, schedule a job interview with them by sending a letter. Contacting them by letter ensures that all the details of the scheduled appointment are clearly stated, including the time and place where the interview will be held, as well as any other requirements that the applicant is required to bring with him or her. Using letters also gives a sense of formality to the appointment.

Letters scheduling an appointment for a job interview should be concise, to-the-point and should avoid extraneous details. Essential elements are the date, time and place of the interview and the name of the person to be contacted if the applicant has to reschedule for any reason. If the applicant is required to bring any documents such as their resume or letters of recommendation, these should also be mentioned in the letter. The letter should be sent using the company letterhead. If e-mailed, the letter should include the address of the company either as a header or in the body of the letter to ensure that the candidate knows where to go for the interview.

Below is a sample letter scheduling an appointment for a job interview, which can serve as a model that can be adapted by other writers.

Sample Letter

January 20, 2010

Richard Stark
Head, Human Resources Department
Red Box Advertising
84 Lafayette Drive,
Dallas, Texas
e-mail: rbox@server.net

Julian Scott
35 Penny Avenue,
Boston, Massachusetts

Dear Mr. Scott,

Greetings!

As you know, our company is currently looking for talented, dynamic and motivated individuals to become part of our creative team. After assessing your application for a position in our organization, we are pleased to inform you that we are considering you for the position of copywriter. As part of the initial screening process, we would like you to come to our offices on January 25, 2010 at 2 pm for testing and a preliminary interview. Look for Mr. Sam Richman at Suite 452. Please bring your resume and a portfolio of your past work with you to the interview.

If you cannot make it on the above dates, please call Ms. Sheila Johnson at 050-862-1458 to reschedule the interview.

We look forward to meeting you!

Respectfully yours,

[name]
[position]

It is true that damaged merchandise cannot be avoided in most businesses. In such cases, you need to immediately notify your shipper about the matter.

Notification letters for damaged items are perfect for such situations. In these letters, you can enumerate your concerns and issues on their items. Whether it is broken, damaged, or is not functional, you have the right to inform your provider and request for a replacement.

However, you need to courteously express your side. Remember that they could have released the items in best condition and the damage was incurred during shipping. Mishandling is possible when third-party shipping and cargo services were employed. Thus, it is not always the provider who is at fault.

In writing notification letters for damaged items, you need to indicate how many items were damaged. Try to include a photo and if possible, write a brief document regarding the damage. These attachments might help your provider in assessing the situation before taking actions.

If the delivered items are not functional, you also need to indicate the number of items and some information like serial numbers. You can also document the expected versus actual results of the product along with a step by step procedures in recreating them.

Notification letter for incomplete delivery can be the simplest. You only need to indicate the actual number of items and the number of undelivered items. You can also add some attachments but most of the time, providers will only ask for the number of missing items.

Here is a sample notification letter for damaged items. One million capacitors were ordered from an electronic company and some items were damaged.

Sample Letter

January 30, 2010

TO:
Mr. Wayne Smith
Sales Coordinator
Universal Electronics Manufacturing Ltd.
Universal Electronics Compound, No. 8 North Drive,
Electronics City, Hosur Road, Bangalore

FROM:
Kristov Gaston
Senior Hardware Design Engineer
Infotainment Department
Advanced Solutions Technology
50th Floor, Block C, Naberezhnaya Tower,
Moscow International Business Center, Moscow

Good day.

We have received the one million capacitors that we ordered last month. However, one out of ten capacitor packages were already damaged upon opening. We attached a photo of the package as well as the damaged capacitors upon delivery.

We suspect that the capacitors had leaked based on their physical conditions. An incident report has been attached and you may refer to it in case you need to document and analyze the situation.

Please inform us about the expected date that we can receive the replacement for one package of capacitors.

We hope to hear from you as soon as possible.

My best regards.

Kristov Gaston

A notification letter for a shipped order is probably the best news that you can give to your customers. Such letters are used to inform your customers that you have successfully delivered their orders in best condition.

You should list the items that you shipped. For example, your customers ordered a set of cloth to be used in making dresses and formal wear. You should include in your letter that you attached care instructions and some manuals in relation to the cloth they ordered. This will help them in their own matters and is a good way of demonstrating your professionalism and concern for the customers.

Similarly, you can have some attachments for your letter. Checklists are a good idea especially if the package needs to undergo several inspections and long shipping. You can try to attach photocopy of some documents to prove that the package had complied with the required checking and gate pass. Lastly, try to include some guidelines in checking if the package is in good condition or not. Though your customers may have their own guidelines, it would be better if you can also provide your own.

In cases when the customer requires technical details along with the letter, you can have a separate technical report as an attachment. Do not mix the contents of a technical report and a notification letter.

Here is a sample notification letter for a shipped order. A software development was requested from an overseas company. The software is already delivered to the customer and they want some technical details along with the delivery letter.

Sample Letter

May 14, 2010

TO:
Mr. Vladimir Hartenberg
Project Lead Developer
Hardware Simulation Department
Moscow Software Solutions Ltd.
17th Floor, St. Petersburg Tower, City of Capitals, Plot9,
International Business Center, Moscow, Russia

FROM:
Peter Scott
Senior Project Manager
Simulation and Embedded Systems Department
Global Software Solutions Incorporated
8th Floor, John Hancock Center,
875 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, Illinois

Dear Mr. Hartenberg,

We are pleased to inform you that your software request has already been delivered.

These are the items that were shipped:

1. Installation CD
2. User manual
3. Software design document
4. Software specifications
5. System test results
6. System test environment

Complete description of each item can be found in the attachments. You may also use the attached checklist to ensure that the installation CD is in best condition and has not been tampered prior to delivery. You may find the soft copies of each item in a separate disc while the hard copies are inside the delivery package.

Please feel free to contact us for questions and clarifications.

Thank you for choosing our company and we wish you the best in your future endeavors.

Very respectfully yours

Peter Scott

Sometimes the customer orders items that are currently unavailable. It can either be out of stock, already phased out, or out of season. Regardless of the reason for its unavailability, you need to courteously inform the customer about the matter.

Such letters are used to inform customers that the items they are looking for is unavailable. It is important to inform them ahead of time so they can make necessary adjustments on their part.

Thank them for their interest in your products but be frank in informing them that the items they are looking for is currently unavailable. It is not necessary to give them the exact reasons for its unavailability but you can give them some basic information about it. You can also give them an estimate as to when the products will be available again and ask them if they want to have a reservation.

This situation can also work on your advantage. Include in your letter some suggestions and similar items that they might be interested. Offer other items with related styles and designs to your customers. Showcase your collections of various items and be subtle in urging them to buy your other products. If you are lucky, they might be interested and purchase several merchandise and give you higher sales.

Here is a sample letter for unavailable merchandise. Ms. Brown is looking for office furniture that is already phased out by the manufacturer.

Sample Letter

April 25, 2010

TO:
Ms. Emily Brown
Logistics Department Asst. Manager
Prints and Plaids Design Ltd.
58th Floor, Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive,
Chicago, Illinois

FROM:
Allan Summers
Sales Department Senior Manager
Everything Furniture Incorporated
18th Floor, Suite 20, Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, NY

Good day.

We are sorry to inform you that the office furniture set you requested last week is unavailable.

Our company already stopped manufacturing such furniture sets since last year because of its high manufacturing costs and demands. However, we attached our latest office furniture catalog in case you want to consider other designs.

We recommend our Corporate Furniture Set 1 as shown in page 18 of the catalog. It offers the same corporate ambiance as the furniture set that you requested. They have some minor differences but the overall design and concept is similar with your original request.

Please feel free to browse other collections in the catalog and inform us immediately in case you are interested in our furniture sets.

Thank you for considering our company and again, we are sorry for the inconvenience it may cause you.

Very respectfully yours,

Allan Summers

You should know how to inform your customers if the shipment they are expecting will be delayed. The initiative should come from you so your customers can make necessary adjustments caused by the delay.

Informing your customers is a good sign that you are taking the responsibility for the delivery of their orders in good condition. This will not only make them satisfied in your current business but will also exude professionalism. It can also help you in acquiring future business, gaining more clients, and receiving higher customer satisfaction.

In writing a notification letter for a delayed shipment, it is important to have an accurate estimate as to ETA (estimated time of arrival) of the merchandise. It is also important to inform your customers on why the merchandise was delayed. You do not need to give them the detailed cause especially if it involves internal issues on your part. Simply give them an overview and prepare all necessary information in case they want to know the deeper cause of the problem.

It is also advisable to give them your word on the issue. This is to provide your customer an assurance that their requests are being handled properly.

Lastly, apologize for the trouble it may cause them. Remember that they also have their own business to run and they need to readjust their schedules for every delay that they encounter.

Here is a sample letter of delayed shipment. In the example, Mr. Johnson placed a request from an overseas hardware company and shipping will be delayed because of some problems in the customs office.

Sample Letter

August 1, 2010

TO:
Mr. Scott Johnson
Chief Logistics Officer
General Services and Logistics Department
Optronix Technology Incorporated
5th Floor, Rodney Square, Wilmington, Delaware

FROM:
Richard Stephens
Junior Sales Manager
Marketing and Sales Department / Imaging and Optical Division
Crystal Optics Manufacturing Ltd.
Road 20, Crystal Optics Manufacturing,
International Tech Park, Bangalore

Dear Mr. Johnson

Good day.

We are sorry to inform you that your request for one million optical scanner heads will be delayed by one week. The items were already boarded for shipping but were temporarily put on hold in compliance to the new rules and regulations by our local customs office. Expected delivery date of the scanner heads to your office is on August 25, 2010.

We are already addressing the issue and rest assured that the items will be delivered to your office in best condition.

Again, we are sorry for the trouble it may cause you.

Thank you and best regards.

Richard Stephens