Are you concerned about how to politely tell someone they missed a meeting?
Perhaps you’re worried about the best way to approach this situation in formal cases.
Well, it’s a good thing you came across this article.
We’ll teach you how to email someone about a meeting they missed to ensure you hit that polite tone just right!
Is It Rude to Tell Someone They Missed a Meeting?
It is not rude to tell someone they missed a meeting. You can do it whenever you need to, especially if the meeting is quite important.
For the most part, it’s best to do this in an email. You can also take someone into your office and bring it up privately.
However, we don’t recommend calling someone out for missing a meeting in front of others. After all, you never know exactly why they missed the meeting until they tell you!
There is a chance they won’t want to say their reason in front of others. That’s why it’s always better to do it privately.
Pros
- It’s a clear way to let someone know they were supposed to attend a meeting.
- In an email, it’s often quite a formal choice.
Cons
- If you don’t know someone’s reason or excuse, it could lead to difficulty or complications.
- It’s sometimes unnecessary.
So, there’s nothing wrong with telling someone they missed a meeting. However, now, you have to come up with some good phrases to get your point across politely.
Keep reading to learn what to say when someone doesn’t show up for a meeting. We’ve gathered a list of some of the best synonyms to help you explore your options.
How to Politely Tell Someone They Missed a Meeting
- You couldn’t make it to the meeting
- We missed you at the meeting
- It’s a shame you couldn’t attend the meeting
- Unfortunately, you weren’t able to attend the meeting
- Regrettably, you missed the meeting
- I can see you were unable to attend
- Don’t worry that you couldn’t make it
- Did you forget about the meeting?
- I’d like to rearrange this for when you’re free
1. You Couldn’t Make It to the Meeting
We recommend starting with “you couldn’t make it to the meeting.”
This is a great way to be polite when you realize someone didn’t attend a meeting.
It works best when emailing an employee. It shows that you noticed their absence and you’d like to hear why they weren’t able to attend.
For the most part, it retains a formal and genuine tone. So, even if something bad happened, you can use this to ask why someone wasn’t available.
Also, you can review this email sample to learn more about it:
Dear Matilda,
You couldn’t make it to the meeting, and I’d like to know why.
However, I’ve also attached the minutes from the meeting to show you what you missed.
Best wishes,
Katie Cleric
2. We Missed You at the Meeting
Next, you can write “we missed you at the meeting.”
This is a great synonym if you’re trying to sound more friendly and caring. It shows that you were hoping someone would be able to attend, but you noticed they were absent.
For the most part, this works best when contacting a coworker.
It shows you hope they’re okay, and you want to check in to find out why they might not have been able to make it.
If you’re still unsure how it works, you can check out this example:
Dear Michelle,
We missed you at the meeting this morning.
Is everything okay? Let me know if I can help with anything.
Yours,
George Cornforth
3. It’s a Shame You Couldn’t Attend the Meeting
You can also write “it’s a shame you couldn’t attend the meeting” when you want to email a professor who missed a meeting.
For instance, let’s say an important speaker in your professor’s field came to your college.
Well, it might have been a good chance for your professor to meet them, but they might have been too busy.
This phrase keeps things sincere and formal when you want to highlight that your professor missed something quite important.
Of course, you might not know why they missed the meeting. This phrase is good, even if you’re unsure about why.
Check out the following example if you’d like more help with it:
Dear Ms. Martinson,
It’s a shame you couldn’t attend the meeting.
I learned a lot from it, and I hope you’ll be free next time!
Best wishes,
Sian Grimes
4. Unfortunately, You Weren’t Able to Attend the Meeting
You can also use “unfortunately, you weren’t able to attend the meeting.” This can work well if you want to tell your boss they missed a meeting.
For instance, your team might have set up a meeting about a project that you all wanted your boss to attend. It could have been a good chance for them to see how things were developing.
However, if your boss chooses not to attend (or simply can’t make it), it means they miss out on valuable information.
So, this keeps things respectful and sincere when reminding someone they missed a meeting.
If you still need help, check out this example:
Dear Mr. Clarkson,
Unfortunately, you weren’t able to attend the meeting.
However, we managed to take notes of what was discussed.
Yours,
Brian May
5. Regrettably, You Missed the Meeting
You can also write “regrettably, you missed the meeting” in a no-show email to an employee.
This phrase allows you to email someone who is not attending a meeting. It suggests that you did not see them there, so you can only assume they decided not to attend.
From there, you can ask for their reasons. It’s quite a formal and direct way to get an excuse out of someone if you need to know more.
Also, it’s worth reviewing this example to learn more about it:
Dear Paola,
Regrettably, you missed the meeting.
Please get back to me when you can to explain why that was the case.
All the best,
Bethany Shaw
6. I Can See You Were Unable to Attend
You can also write “I can see you were unable to attend” when someone wasn’t able to go to a meeting.
This suggests that you had access to the attendance report and noticed an employee wasn’t present.
You should use this to privately find out the reason why they didn’t show. After all, there could be any number of reasons why an employee wasn’t able to go to a meeting.
Also, it’s worth reviewing this email sample to find out more:
Dear Hillary,
I can see you were unable to attend this meeting.
Do you have a reason as to why you couldn’t make it?
Yours,
Georgina Nelson
7. Don’t Worry That You Couldn’t Make It
We recommend writing “don’t worry that you couldn’t make it” in more friendly situations.
For instance, this works well when a colleague can’t attend a meeting.
If you reach out to them after the meeting, a phrase like this will put their mind at ease.
It suggests that they might have missed a meeting, but they weren’t expected to attend. So, they won’t have to worry too much about explaining whatever led them to miss the meeting.
You can also review this example if you need more help:
Dear Matilda,
Don’t worry that you couldn’t make it.
It wasn’t the most important meeting, and our boss didn’t seem to mind.
All the best,
Zoe Jones
8. Did You Forget About the Meeting?
We haven’t touched on any question alternatives yet, so let’s do that briefly!
You can ask “did you forget about the meeting?” as a light-hearted and friendly synonym.
It’s a good one if you get on well with the email recipient. For instance, you can use it when reaching out to a coworker who might have missed a meeting.
If the meeting was worth attending, it might be wise for you to share some details about it. That way, the question remains polite while also helping the coworker to understand what they missed.
If you’re still unsure how it works, check out this example:
Dear Margaret,
Did you forget about the meeting?
I’ve attached some notes that I took since you missed quite a lot of information.
All the best,
Ron Denver
9. I’d Like to Rearrange This for When You’re Free
Finally, we recommend writing “I’d like to rearrange this for when you’re free.”
This works well if a student misses a meeting. For instance, you might want to meet with a student regarding their recent grades or performance.
If they were unable to attend a scheduled meeting, you might need to rearrange one for a time that’s better for them.
This is a reasonable and respectful way to let a student know you’re happy to meet them on another day.
Also, you can review this email example to find out more:
Dear Morris,
I’d like to rearrange this for when you’re free since you missed the first one.
Don’t worry; we’ll work it around your schedule this time.
Best wishes,
Dan Bradbury