Okay, so you’re not feeling too well and need to let your boss know.
Well, you might think that not feeling well is a bit conversational or overly friendly.
Luckily, you’ve come to the right place if you need alternatives.
This article has gathered some synonyms to show you how to say not feeling well in an email.
8 Alternative Ways to Say “Not Feeling Well”
Check out these 8 alternatives to learn different ways to say not feeling well to your boss:
- Under the weather
- Not at my best today
- Feeling a bit off
- Not feeling my usual self
- Experiencing some health issues
- Won’t be able to come to work today
- Dealing with some health-related issues
- Feeling a bit out of sorts
1. Under the Weather
To start with, we recommend writing under the weather. It doesn’t get more simple than that.
It’s a great phrase to use in formal cases when you’re not feeling well.
It avoids directly stating what’s wrong with you. Instead, it simply lets your boss know that you’re too sick to come to work.
We also think this example will help to explain how it works:
Dear Mr. Federer,
I’m under the weather and will be taking a day off work to recover. I hope you can find someone to cover me.
Best regards,
Dean Watkins
2. Not at My Best Today
For something slightly more conversational, you can use not at my best today.
It’s a great phrase that helps you to stay more friendly with your boss. You can use it when you don’t feel up to working and you need to write an email to let your boss know.
It should be received quite well. As long as your boss is a decent person, they’ll understand that you can’t make it to work and find suitable cover.
Check out this example if you’d like to learn more about it:
Dear Ms. Clark,
I’m not at my best today due to a fever. Therefore, I won’t be able to make it in for my scheduled shift.
All the best,
Ross Johnson
3. Feeling a Bit Off
If you want to know how to say not feeling well professionally, you can stick to the basics, like feeling a bit off.
It shows that you’re not willing to discuss your illness. Instead, it allows you to politely say that you are not feeling well.
Your boss should get the picture. And they should be more than happy to let you take the day off work to recover.
We also recommend checking out the following sample email:
Dear Mr. Piper,
I’m feeling a bit off, so I don’t think it’s wise for me to come to work. Please forgive me for any inconvenience caused.
Yours,
George Dean
4. Not Feeling My Usual Self
You can tell your boss you’re not feeling well with not feeling my usual self. It’s a great way to keep things honest and sincere when you’re writing to let your boss know you’re unwell.
It’s useful because it shows that you don’t feel up to working. So, your boss should understand more about what you need from them (which usually means a day or two off).
Also, you can refer to this email sample to learn more about it:
Dear Mrs. Walker,
I can’t come to the office because I’m not feeling my usual self. I hope you’re okay with that for today.
Yours,
Jackie Growth
5. Experiencing Some Health Issues
Try using experiencing some health issues when you’re feeling unwell. It’s a great formal phrase that shows you’re not well enough to come to work.
Generally, this phrase helps you to stay more professional and respectful with your boss.
So, you should try using it when you have a more formal working relationship with them. It suggests that you’re not comfortable using more friendly phrases.
Feel free to review this email example:
Dear Mr. Foster,
I’m experiencing some health issues at the moment. Please forgive me, but I don’t think it’s wise for me to come to work.
Best regards,
Kimberley Foxhunt
6. Won’t Be Able to Come to Work Today
You don’t just have to email your boss to let them know you’re not well. Sometimes, sending them a text message before a shift works wonders.
So, try using won’t be able to come to work today instead of not feeling well.
It’s friendly and honest. It lets your boss know that you’re not able to work and won’t be making it in for your shift.
You can refer to these message samples to learn how it works:
I won’t be able to come to work today. I know it’s an important day, but I’m feeling really under the weather!
I’m afraid I won’t be able to come to work today, Jack! I realize that it’s short notice, and I’m very sorry.
7. Dealing With Some Health-Related Issues
Finally, we recommend trying dealing with some health-related issues.
Again, this is a great way to keep things more friendly and honest with your boss.
Feel free to include it in a text message to let them know that you’re not able to work for them.
As long as you have a good relationship, they will be understanding of your situation. And they will likely find someone to cover for you in your absence.
Here are some message examples to show you more about it:
I’m currently dealing with some health-related issues. So, I will not be attending my shift today.
I’m dealing with some health-related issues. Please forgive me, but I certainly won’t be making it in today.
Is It Correct to Say “Not Feeling Well”?
Not feeling well is correct to use in professional emails.
It’s a simple yet effective way to let an employer know that you don’t feel up to working. It works similarly to saying you’re sick or under the weather.
Generally, you would use this when contacting your boss. After all, they’re usually the go-to person when you’re ill and need to get a day off work.
Review this sample email if you still need help seeing how to use not feeling well in a sentence:
Dear Mr. Russell,
I’m afraid I am not feeling well. So, I won’t be able to make it into my scheduled shift at five today.
All the best,
Joe Kirkland
You can also make it slightly more specific by including the time of day. For example:
Dear Miss Bridges,
I’m not feeling well today. Forgive me for the late notice, but I simply can’t bring myself to come in.
Yours,
George Timothy
Generally, you should stick to using well in the phrase. It’s a common misconception to use not feeling good. However, this is far too informal to include in most emails.
Mistake: Using good instead of well in an email
- Correct: I am not feeling well.
- Incorrect: I am not feeling good.
In text messages, you can use not feeling good. That’s because it’s correct as a more friendly and informal phrase. But in emails, you should avoid it!
