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I'm working as a waiter in a restaurant and I can't go to work for a few days. So I wanted to ask my friend to go to work instead of me.
Is there any expression to ask this to my friend and to tell my boss?
I got some words for this but not sure if it's right: replace, substitute, backup.
And which one can be used in an informal situation (to friend) and a formal situation?
I don't think any of those three choices are particularly good in this case. Maybe replace, as in "Can you replace me for a few days?"
I can think of two ways to phrase it:
- Can you go into work for me for a few days?
- Can you cover for me for a few days?
The bolded for indicates that the friend will go to work on your behalf. Cover is the verb I know that people use when they want to ask a friend to work for them when they're sick, have an appointment, or even when they want to sneak out (leave without permission). In my opinion, you can use either with a friend or boss. Here's a definition of cover from M-W:
cover
2 : to act as a substitute or replacement during an absence • a stand-in covering for an injured star
