sick leave

USAGE SUMMARY

"sick leave" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to the time an employee takes off work due to illness or injury. For example, "The employee requested two weeks of sick leave for her recovery."

✓ Grammatically correct

Formal & Business

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Our measures of sickness absence, self-certified sick leave and GP-certified sick leave are the rates of sick leave in percent of contracted working days.

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

Sick leave.

The New York Times

Granting sick leave.

Cornell University

Requesting sick leave.

Cornell University

§ 630.401 Granting sick leave.

Cornell University

The dependent measures were sick leave, productivity.

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

No sick leave.

The Guardian - Music

Ever need that sick leave?

The New York Times

Families who need paid sick leave.

The New York Times

Mandatory universal sick leave and holiday pay.

The Guardian - Opinion

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

The following measures of sickness absence were calculated: Frequencies and percentages of: people sickness absent, prevalent and incident sick-leave spells, sick-leave spells/individual, sick-leave spells/duration of sick-leave spells, sick-leave days/individual, sick-leave days/sick-leave spell, and granted disability pension in 2005.

BMC Public Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When requesting "sick leave", clearly communicate the reason and expected duration to your employer following company policy. This ensures proper documentation and facilitates workflow management.

Common error

Avoid using "sick leave" interchangeably with "vacation leave" or "personal leave". "Sick leave" is specifically for illness or medical appointments, while the others are for different purposes.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sick leave" functions primarily as a noun, denoting an authorized absence from work due to illness. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a standard and acceptable term. Examples in Ludwig show it used as both a countable and uncountable noun.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

34%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Wiki

2%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "sick leave" is a widely used and grammatically correct term referring to authorized time off work due to illness. As Ludwig AI confirms, its usage spans across various contexts, primarily in formal business settings, news reports, and scientific research. While alternatives like "medical leave" or "time off for illness" exist, "sick leave" remains the most common and direct way to describe this type of absence. Understanding the specific policies of your workplace and communicating effectively are key when requesting or discussing "sick leave".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

medical leave

Replaces "sick" with a broader term, encompassing other medical reasons for leave.

time off for illness

A more descriptive phrase, explicitly stating the reason for taking time off.

absence due to illness

Focuses on the absence itself, specifying the cause as illness.

paid time off (PTO)

If the sick leave is part of a general PTO policy.

illness-related leave

A more formal and specific way of referring to time off for health reasons.

health-related absence

Similar to "absence due to illness", but using the term "health-related".

leave of absence for medical reasons

A more extended phrase, emphasizing the formal aspect of the leave.

sick day

Refers to a single day of sick leave.

disability leave

If the illness qualifies as a disability, this phrase might be appropriate.

out sick

An informal way to say someone is on sick leave.

FAQs

How do I request "sick leave" from my employer?

Typically, you should follow your company's policy, which may involve notifying your supervisor, submitting a written request, and providing medical documentation if required. Check your employee handbook for specific procedures.

What is the difference between "sick leave" and "personal leave"?

"Sick leave" is specifically for when you're ill or need medical attention, while "personal leave" can be used for various reasons, such as family matters or appointments that are not health-related.

Is "sick leave" always paid?

Whether "sick leave" is paid depends on your employer's policy and local laws. Some companies offer paid "sick leave", while others may offer unpaid leave or require using "paid time off" (PTO).

What are some alternatives to saying "sick leave"?

Depending on the context, you could use terms like "medical leave", "time off for illness", or "health-related absence".