For some reason, you need your Boss to release you from a project you’re involved asap. You need to email them quickly and inform them but you don’t want to spend the next hour thinking about how to structure the email.
Have no worries as we’ve got you covered. This article will provide templates you can easily modify for the purpose. Additionally, we’ve also included some tips to help you whenever you’re writing to your Boss.
Tips For Emailing Your Boss
Although tools like Slack and Teams are widely used across organizations, emails remain one of the most patronized forms of communication in the corporate world.
But before you send an email to your Boss, you should take note of these things.
Decide On Your Reason For Writing The Email
Workplaces are professional settings and Bosses expect any emails to be professional. This means the email should not deviate from the original purpose. Any relevant information that would present your case should be included in the email.
Clear Reasons
Be clear about why your reasons for requesting to be released from the project. If you believe your skills are best served somewhere else, make sure you convey that in your email.
Clear Subject Line
While you would not be able to include all relevant information in the subject line of the email, it should present the general purpose of the email within a few words.
This helps your boss or supervisor locate the email, understand the possible content even before reading the full message and finally ascertain the importance and urgency of the email.
After all, your boss would most likely have a busy schedule. A clear subject line would help them identify the urgency of the email especially when they have a boatload of work to get done.
Examples:
Request for Release From {{Project Title}} Project
Use Proper Name
Coming down to the body of the email, you should identify the name your boss wishes for you or the general employee body to call them.
If they prefer to be addressed by their first names, you should address them as such. On the other hand, if you aren’t sure how they want to be addressed, you can either ask your colleagues or simply use your boss’ surname.
Keep in mind your workplace culture at this point. Some workplaces encourage informal communication between all members of the organization.
For informal workplaces, you start with:
Good {{morning/afternoon/evening}} {{Boss’ firstname}}
Hi {{Boss’ firstname}}
In the case of a very formal workplace where you aren’t sure of the best way to address your boss, you can simply start with:
Dear {{Mr. /Mrs /Ms. Surname}}
Hello {{Mr. /Mrs /Ms. Surname}}
State Your Reason
Following the salutation, your email’s opening paragraph should explain its purpose. Opening the email by explaining your reasoning keeps the email concise and clear.
Try and make your request as positive as you possibly can.
You can start with something like this:
I appreciate the opportunity to work on the {{Project title}} project, but I am concerned about {{Concern}} and would appreciate it if you could reassign me to the {{Project title}} project
Provide An Explanation
Now that your first few sentences have presented your reason for the email, you need to provide details. Refrain from including any unnecessary content which does not help clarify your email. Only include relevant content.
Let them know why you want this and any potential benefits it would have for the company or your team.
Set Tone
Maybe something happened at the workplace that you didn’t like or there’s something you find annoying. You should always mind your tone in your professional emails.
It doesn’t matter whether the company’s doing something you’re unhappy with, you should mind your tone. If you sound angry, your Boss is less likely to mind your request or even finish reading it.
Research
You don’t like the project and want to be released. This means you need to be re-assigned, so it’s advisable to find another project you’re interested in.
They’re more likely to consider your request if you alert them to a project you want to work on, how you’ll contribute to it and how it’ll benefit the company in general.
End Formally
At this point, you can thank your boss for taking the time to review your request and then reiterate any relevant information before signing off.
Example:
Thanks for your time and consideration
Signature
Official emails to your boss should be signed off with your official signature which includes your full name, job title, department if applicable, and contact details when available.
This can be easy if you’ve already created your signature template for your company email. The system would automatically include your signature in every email.
If you haven’t created a signature template for your email, you should manually include this in your email to your boss.
It can be something like this:
Sincerely,
{{Fullname}}
{{Department if applicable}}
{{Job role/title}}
{{Contact details (optional)}}
Use Work Email
Refrain from contacting your boss through your personal email. Most organizations implement some form of spam filter that may flag personal emails as spam.
The last thing anyone wants is to send an urgent message to their boss only to find out days later that they never got the email. Emails that come through the company emails are whitelisted ensuring that your boss receives them inside their inbox.
This is why most organizations provide their employees with company emails for communication within the company as well as correspondence with external companies.
Keep It Concise
Your boss probably receives loads of emails daily. The last thing they want to do is to spend precious time reading through a long email to determine its content.
No matter how important your email may be, your boss is not likely to spend 30 minutes trying to understand its content. It’s advisable to use short and clear wording to easily convey the content of your message.
Proofread
No one likes reading terrible grammar, especially in a professional setting. It’s advisable to proofread your email to identify any grammatical errors before sending it to your boss.
Tools like Grammarly are readily available to help identify errors in your writing. Keep in mind that these tools aren’t perfect. So manually proofreading your email can further enhance your message.
Easy To Understand
Your boss most likely receives tens or even hundreds of emails daily, especially in the case of larger organizations. Ensure that your email is easy to understand within the shortest amount of time.
To determine this, you can ask a colleague or friend to skim through the email to test whether it’s easy to understand and adequately presents the necessary information.
Sample Email To Manager Requesting Release From Project
Template 1: Requesting Release From Project And Re-Assignment
Email Subject
Request for Release From {{Project title}} Project
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to request my release from the {{Project title}} project. As the project already has a skilled {{Specialization}} on board, I believe my expertise would be better served working on the {{Project title}} project which currently needs a {{Specialization}}.
I’ve enjoyed my time working on the {{Project title}} and believe I've gained enough experience to support the company’s other projects. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but would greatly appreciate your consideration and look forward to discussing this further with you.
Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 2: Requesting Release From Project
Email Subject
Request for Release From {{Project title}}
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out to request my release from the {{Project title}} project, to which I’ve been assigned for the past {{3 months/weeks}}. Unfortunately, I’m unable to continue working on the project due to {{Reasons}}.
I would appreciate it if I could be re-assigned to any of the projects below which aligns with {{Reasons why you want to work on any of these projects}}
{{Project title}}
{{Project title}}
{{Project title}}
I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but I would greatly appreciate your consideration and look forward to discussing this further with you. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 3: Requesting For Release From Project
Email Subject
Request For Release From {{Project title}} Project
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request your consideration for my release from the {{Project title}} project on which I’ve been working since {{Duration}}.
I’ve enjoyed working on the project and team, but {{Reasons}}. I believe my expertise would better serve the company working on {{Project title}}, since {{Reasons for chosen project}}.
I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but would I greatly appreciate your consideration. Thank you for your time and understanding.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 4: Request for Release from {{Project Name}}
Email Subject
Request for Release from {{Project Name}}
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to discuss the possibility of being released from my current project, {{Project Name}}. I have thoroughly considered this decision and would like to outline my reasons for this request.
First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the project. I have gained valuable experience and have learned a lot during my time on the team. However, due to recent changes in my personal circumstances, I find that I am no longer able to dedicate the time and focus that this project requires.
I believe that by stepping aside, I can ensure that the project continues to progress smoothly and that my colleagues will not be burdened by my reduced availability. I am committed to assisting in the transition process to ensure a seamless handover of my responsibilities.
I understand the importance of this project to the organization, and I am willing to work closely with you and my team to ensure that my departure has minimal impact on our goals and timelines. I am also open to discussing a reasonable timeframe for my transition out of the project.
Please let me know your thoughts on this matter, and if possible, we can arrange a meeting to discuss this further. I am committed to supporting this transition and ensuring that it is as smooth as possible.
Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}Template 5: Request for Release from {{Project Name}}
Email Subject
Request for Release from {{Project Name}}
Body
Dear {{Surname}},
I hope you're doing well. I'm writing to discuss my current involvement in the [Project Name] project. Due to unforeseen personal circumstances that require my immediate attention, I kindly request a release from this project.
I genuinely value the project and the team, and I'm committed to ensuring a seamless transition. I'm willing to work closely with you and the team to hand over my responsibilities and provide any necessary support during this transition period.
I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and support.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
{{Full name}}
{{Department name if applicable}}
{{Job tile}}
