Your boss has asked you to write and send an email on their behalf. This shows they trust you, but it can be a bit daunting nonetheless. What if it isn’t taken seriously? What if it causes confusion?
Worry not! In this article, we’ll show you how to send an email on behalf of your boss using 10 concise phrases.
Should You Send an Email on Behalf of Your Boss?
There’s nothing wrong with sending an email on behalf of your boss. However, knowing how to write on behalf of your boss is not something we learn in school. That being said, it’s really not that difficult as long as you keep things clear and precise!
So, if your boss has asked you to send an email on their behalf, there are many important things to keep in mind.
Firstly, when you’re writing an email on behalf of someone else, you should endeavor to get their permission in writing. This ensures that you won’t be held liable if there are any poor reactions to the content of your email.
Secondly, you should always make it clear in the email that you are writing on your boss’s behalf. You can do this by expressly saying as much in the header, opening line, or the sign-off of the email.
Thirdly, you should ask your boss to check over what you’ve drafted if the email is important. However, if it is a rather insignificant admin email, you may be able to send it without your boss’s go-ahead.
After all, you don’t want to bother your boss over every little email that goes out. Consider whether the content is sensitive and needs approval before you send it.
Finally, it’s always a good idea to CC your boss in the email so they can know for sure when you sent it, what it says, and so they can see any replies from the recipient. It also doesn’t hurt to copy their email signature for especially important correspondence!
In conclusion, it’s perfectly okay to send an email on your boss’s behalf if you follow these guidelines. In fact, we’ll show you some of the ways you can draft an email for them below.
How to Send an Email on Behalf of Your Boss
Here are 10 phrases to include in an email that you are writing on behalf of your employer:
- On behalf of
- I have been tasked with
- (Boss) has asked me to
- Per (Your Name)
- I am authorized by
- With the authorization of
- (Boss) has permitted me
- With (boss’s) permission
- With (boss’s) approval
- (Boss) has approved this email
1. On Behalf Of
When you’re sending an email on behalf of your boss, it’s great to make this clear by including the phrase on behalf of in the opening line of the email, or in the sign-off.
This will ensure that the reader knows to treat the email as a message from the boss, even though you have clearly written it. As we said, you should remember to CC your boss as well.
Let’s see an email example making use of this phrase:
Subject line: Assignment From Manager
Dear Tetra,
I am writing this email on behalf of Patrick.
He has asked that you draft a memorandum according to the specifications attached below.
Regards,
Leanne
This email could also be written as follows (take note of the example signature):
Subject line: Assignment From Manager
Dear Tetra,
Please draft a memorandum according to the specification attached below,
Regards,
Leanne on behalf of Patrick (Manager)
2. I Have Been Tasked With
A different way to let a recipient know that you are writing on behalf of your employer is to say I have been tasked with.
This phrase comes across rather formally, making it suitable for a large, corporate organization. Moreover, I have been tasked with clearly sets out that the power to send this email has been delegated to you by your employer.
Check out the following sample email:
Subject line: Team Meeting – Wednesday 24th at 14:00
Dear Team,
I have been tasked with scheduling a department-wide meeting in Boardroom 12.
I am told by the CEO that attendance is highly important, so please be sure to add the date and time above to your schedules.
Regards,
Oliver
3. (Boss) Has Asked Me To
If you work in a smaller company or business, you can use a more casual phrase to let others know that you are writing on behalf of your boss.
Therefore, you can simply say your boss asked you to send out a message in the opening line of your email.
Consider the email sample below:
Subject line: Account Files for Inspection
Dear Karl,
Mr. Jarsaw has asked me to send these files over.
Please peruse them and come to me with any questions.
Regards,
Moira
4. Per (Your Name)
If you’re unsure what to write when sending an email on behalf of someone else, most people make use of the word per. Namely, writing per (your name) will let the recipient know that you are acting as an agent as you write the email.
Therefore, you would use this phrase a little differently from the others. For instance, you would draft and sign off the email as if it were written by your boss. However, you would then add per (your name) after their name to show that it was you who drafted it.
You would usually use this format in an email to a client. After all, a more casual alternative could be used in an email going out to other members of the company.
Nevertheless, you should only use this phrase if your boss has explicitly approved the content of the email. This ensures that they are accountable for it.
To see how to sign off an email on behalf of your boss, check out this example email:
Subject line: Message About Your Investments
Dear Mr. Fowl,
Your investments have seen a notable return, and we would like to discuss this in detail at your convenience.
Please call our offices to schedule a meeting.
Regards,
Bernard Ghey, per Sally Wright
5. I Am Authorized By
When you are sending a formal email to a client on behalf of a company, you can use the phrase I am authorized by to let the client know that you speak for the organization at that moment.
The wording of this phrase is very clear and comprehensible. Therefore, a layperson who is not a member of your company should understand that you are writing the email with your company’s permission.
Have a look at the following email sample:
Subject line: Your Requested Personal Data
Dear Ms. Floyd,
I am authorized by (Company Name) to forward these confidential files to you from our server.
It is your right to ask for the redacting or deletion of any information therein.
Regard,
Ntsika Jabavu
6. With the Authorization Of
With the authorization of is just an even more formal version of the phrase above. You could use this phrase in an email to a colleague so they know it was sent on behalf of a superior.
As this phrase is rather militant in terms of its tone, it is best suited for a rather large and sophisticated company, rather than a smaller business.
For instance:
Subject line: Assignment from Partner
Dear Dustin,
I am writing to you with the authorization of Mr. Dour.
Please see the assignment attached below, and address any questions to me.
Regards,
Bethany Munts
7. (Boss) Has Permitted Me
You would use the phrase (boss) has permitted me when you have asked your employer to let you take charge of a particular task or project.
Therefore, this phrase wouldn’t suggest that you are speaking on your boss’s behalf per se. However, it lets the recipient know that the boss is allowing you to take control for one reason or another.
It’s suitably formal to use in a group message in a medium-sized organization.
To see what we mean, check out this email example:
Subject line: End-of-Year Meeting
Dear Team,
Miss DuMare has permitted me to plan our end-of-year meeting while she’s away.
Therefore, please see the invitation below.
Regards,
Stacy Forth
8. With (Boss’s) Permission
With (boss’s) permission is a slightly less formal version of the above. You can use it to let your colleagues know that you have been granted permission to send an email on the boss’s behalf.
If you work in a small business, your colleagues will probably know the boss on a first-name basis. Therefore, you can simply use this casual phrase to match the casual vibe of your workplace.
For example:
Subject line: Schedule Changes
Hi Team,
I’m sending out this new schedule with Lydia’s permission.
Please have a look and let me know if anything conflicts.
All the best,
Jon
9. With (Boss’s) Approval
You can use with (boss’s) approval as a tonally neutral way to let your colleagues know that you are sending an email that has been read over and approved by the higher-up.
Like the other phrases on our list, this phrase is very understandable. Therefore, the receiver should know who is behind the content of the email.
See the email sample below:
Subject line: Task – Please complete by end of day
Dear Jordan,
I am sending you this task with Miss Currie’s approval.
Please see the attached and reply to me with any questions.
Regards,
Julia
10. (Boss) Has Approved of This Email
You can end off an email with (boss) has approved this email to let your colleagues know that the content of the message should be treated as if it came from the boss themselves.
It is essentially just a variation of the phrase above, and it is suitably formal to use in an organization of any size.
Therefore, let’s see this phrase in our final email example:
Subject line: Important Employee Information Forms
Dear Team,
I have attached a series of forms that need to be filled in by everyone in this department by Monday.
Please note that Ms. Heath has approved of this email and the content herein.
Regards,
Naledi Tshwete
