Best Out of Office Messages: Examples & Tips
All work and no play can make any employee dull. Vacation leaves are necessary to recharge—some even take this as an opportunity to manage personal matters. In the case of sick leaves, it may even be inevitable.
The Employment Act states that employees who have been working in a company for more than three months are eligible for 7–14 days of annual leave, depending on the year of service. The number of leaves can go as high as 21 days, but according to a survey of 282 employees, 50% believe companies should provide at least 25 days of paid annual leave.
Additionally, paid sick leaves are found to be the most valued benefit by employees. On the other hand, special leaves such as compassionate leaves and marriage leaves are the most popular among employers, with some expected to implement birthday leaves.
Understandably, the operations in your company continue even when you're not at work. You still receive work-related correspondence from colleagues, managers, or clients while you’re away. As a courtesy and to avoid any delay, it is best to set up an automated out of office message to those who will email you while you're away.
An out of office email lets the sender know you're on leave instantly so they know when to expect your response. In this article, you will learn how to craft the best out of office message and what template to use based on the kind of leave you're taking and your preferred tone.
Out of Office Message Basics
An out of office or OOO message is an auto reply message sent to people who send you emails while you're away.
Communication is vital to the success of a business or career. So, it's normal for email senders to be concerned when employees don't reply within a day or two. For your part, you wouldn't want to deal with an inbox full of frustrated people when you return or be unproductive because you spent too much time answering emails.
A professional out of office message politely informs them that you're offline. Setting up one is proper work etiquette because it notifies everyone about your unavailability, especially if you are working in customer service, sales and marketing, or public relations. While you cannot reply immediately, you are also not ignoring them.
When the sender knows you are unavailable, they won't have to send multiple emails or follow-ups. They can decide whether to wait for your return or contact whoever is covering for you while you're away, reducing pile-ups and avoiding disruptions to ongoing work.
Another implied benefit of an OOO message is it helps with setting clear boundaries around your time off for your health. In effect, you wouldn't have to worry about work since the sender is aware that your colleagues would cover for you, so you can make the most of your leave.
Whether it's a one-day or month-long absence, you should set up an out of office email. Here are a few instances when you should have your auto-reply ready.
- Paid time-offs (PTO)
- Going on a holiday
- Personal or business trip
- Conferences, workshops, or business meetings
- Parental leave
- Sick leave
- Other emergencies
- Sabbatical
Leaving personal notes to your colleagues and clients even while you're away can make them feel cared for, which can only make your business relationship better. Provide the following details in your OOO email to prevent miscommunication.
- Why you are on leave
- The exact dates of you will be out, or your return date
- Who to contact for time-sensitive, urgent matters
- Other helpful instructions
There's no one correct template for out of office messages, but there are ways to craft the right one for your needs. Of course, you would first have to look at different factors—the reason for your absence, the people who will read it, the work information you need to share, and the tone or mood you want to convey through your email.
Tips for Crafting a Good Out of Office Message
Conciseness
While you have to give a reason for your absence, being vague about personal matters is fine, if not ideal. Out of office messages should be concise and to the point, and oversharing not only tends to sound unprofessional but is also a security concern. So, stick with the relevant information and leave out the unnecessary ones.
To make the email look less cluttered, use bullet points. For example, you currently handle multiple projects, but different people would step in while you're away. Putting the details in bullets would allow the recipient to easily spot the projects they are concerned with and just read that.
Clarity
When you give only the essential information in your auto-replies, your email becomes more understandable to readers.
For instance, if you want to inform a client to get the paperwork they need from your colleague who is temporarily in charge of the project, you don't need to enumerate what the type of documents are.
Professionalism
An out of office message is generally used in the workplace, so it has to sound professional. While you can be casual when communicating with your work colleagues, remember that clients or customers may also receive the message. You wouldn't want to talk to them too informally, so instead of greeting "Hey!" opt for a simple "Hello," "Hi," or "Hi there."
However, you may not be comfortable about sounding uptight and want to appear friendly. To do this, some are inclined to use emojis. While these are not forbidden, your email may come off as unprofessional. Not all possible recipients are your close friends and may think you're too chummy, so reserve the emojis for your colleagues.
A professional out of office message uses correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. To minimise mistakes, go over it with a spelling or grammar checker. Also, you can prepare emails that you can use for different leaves and edit them accordingly, so you have time to check them repeatedly for lapses before setting them up.
Humour
Professional doesn't have to mean bland. If you work as a creative or in a creative environment, being creative should come to you easily. Thus, it's understandable if you want to inject humour into your auto-response. Remember to have a good balance of funny and professional, and the jokes are light-hearted, not sarcastic or insulting.
Some jokes may also be misinterpreted or fall flat with the readers, so you must know who will receive your email. For instance, if you expect only your co-workers to email while you're away and the office environment is more relaxed, you can be casual and fun. Injecting humour into your out of office replies can also be a form of customising them to sound more like how you usually communicate.
Personalisation
Having a friendly and appreciative tone is also recommended. You can thank them for reaching out and understanding your current situation, i.e., being unable to address their concerns immediately.
While you must provide the temporary point-of-contact (POC) for your tasks and their contact details, you may also include your alternative email address—that is, if you're comfortable with receiving work emails during your absence.
Another way to personalise OOO messages is by addressing the recipient by name in your greetings. However, there is no one way to do this; it depends on your company's email client. Not all providers also allow this, so you may have to install a third-party extension.
8 Examples of Out of Office Messages You Can Use
Annual leave
Set up an annual leave email template for your yearly time-offs, whether to take a break, enjoy the holidays, or deal with personal matters.
Short and sweet
Subject: Out of office
Hi there,
I am on annual leave until [date] and won't check my email. For urgent matters, please contact [name], [designation], at [contact details].
Thank you!
Detailed and Informative
Subject: Out of office due to [event]
Hello,
I am out of the office for a [holiday/trip] on [date] / from [date] to [date]. I won't have access to my work email, but for urgent concerns, you may reach out to my colleague [name] at [contact details].
Thank you!
Business travel
Another common reason for sending OOO messages is due to work-related travel.
In-office contact
Subject: Out for a business trip
Hi team,
As you all know, I will be out of the office until [date] to attend [event] at [city/country].
If you require access to some internal files, I have already placed copies in our cloud folder. Here's the link: [link].
I will respond to emails as soon as I can. However, if you need something urgent, you may reach out to [name] at [contact details].
Thanks, and see you soon!
Limited access
Subject: On business trip until [date]
Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out. I am on a business trip to [city/country] until [date] and have limited email access. I will respond to you when time permits or upon my return. However, for immediate assistance, please contact [name], [designation] at [contact details].
Thank you!
Medical leave
Use these automatic reply templates for any absences related to medical reasons.
Brief and professional
Subject: Medical leave until [date]
Hi,
Thank you for reaching out. I am out of the office on medical leave on [date] / until [date]. If you need immediate help, kindly contact [name], [designation], at [contact details].
Thank you for understanding.
Informative and reassuring
Subject: Out of office for medical leave
Hi,
Thank you for your message. Unfortunately, I am on medical leave and will only check my email periodically.
I might be away until [date], so if the matter is urgent, please contact [name], [designation] at [contact details]. They will manage my responsibilities while I am away. Otherwise, I'll be happy to respond to you when I return.
Hoping for your kind understanding.
Family emergency
Unplanned leaves don't always involve medical reasons. In that case, you may use the following examples.
Sincere and concise
Subject: Emergency out of office
Hi,
Thanks for reaching out. I am unexpectedly out of the office due to personal reasons. I might not be available until [date], so please get in touch with my colleague [name] at [contact details] if you need urgent assistance.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Thank you.
Supportive and helpful
Subject: On leave due to a family emergency
Hello,
I am sorry to say that my family is experiencing an emergency at this time. Because of this, I will be out of the office and may be unavailable at times. Kindly reach out to [name] at [contact details], as they will be handling my workload for the foreseeable future.
Thank you for understanding, and keep us in your thoughts.
4 Best Practises for Setting Up an Out of Office Reply
1. Set up your message in advance.
To have some time to craft the proper out of office message, set it up a day or two before your leave.
If you use your yearly PTOs, you should know by now how to write an annual leave message. However, auto-replies for unplanned sick or medical leaves for one or more days may be tricky. In that case, you may opt for a simple out of office message that can cover such absences.
Most email clients have a feature that will automate email sending. You only need to set it up to automatically reply to emails with your OOO message and ensure it is sent to the right people at the right time. Of course, don't forget to turn it off once you return to work.
2. Provide alternative contact information.
You can include an alternative email address or contact number if you're okay with responding to messages that don't require any information you don't have on hand or those that involve confidential topics you don't want to endorse to others.
However, you only need to provide the POC, such as a colleague or your manager, and their email address or phone number if the matter is time-sensitive and you have endorsed it to them. Just make sure to get their consent first.
3. Set expectations for response time.
Your out of office message should inform senders how long you will be on leave so they can either set an expectation of when you can respond or contact the POC if the matter is urgent. If it's an indefinite sick or medical leave, let them know, too.
You don't always have to give an exact date or time but have a realistic timeline. Remember that upon your return, sorting your inbox and replying may not be the first thing on your agenda, especially if you've been gone long. It may take some time before you can sit still and respond to emails.
4. Avoid sharing sensitive information.
It's up to you to include why you'll be out, but you don't need to be detailed, especially if it involves sensitive information. Some recipients may not even care why, like people, you only do business with. Keep it simple, short, and straightforward so they know what to do next.
Worry-Free Time-Offs
Don't let work matters get in the way of your leave. Whatever the reason behind it is, you need to put the focus on yourself. So, have the professional courtesy to inform clients, colleagues, or customers if you won't be able to address concerns they directed to you immediately through your out of office message.
A clear and concise email will let the people concerned know how long you will be out, who will oversee your tasks for the time being, and their contact information. You can keep the tone professional with some light-hearted humour, but avoid sharing information your work colleagues don't have to know.
Have a leave planned soon? Follow the tips or try the sample out of office messages mentioned here for a worry-free time off.
FAQs
- What should I include in my out of office message?
Your out of office message should give the kind of leave you're taking, the return date, the person the email sender can contact for time-sensitive matters, and other helpful details, such as your alternative contact details if you're okay to reply during your leave.
- How long should my out of office message be?
It depends on the amount of work-related information to share. But since you must be as concise as possible, you can create an out of office email in as short as four sentences, including greetings.
- Should I use humour in my out of office message?
An OOO email should ideally sound professional, though that doesn't mean you can't inject humour into it. Find a good balance between the two tones, and consider the kind of people the possible recipients are.
- Can I include my social media handles in my out of office messages?
Your social media handles are irrelevant information. Sharing them may lead to security or privacy concerns.
- How far in advance should I set up my out of office message?
For planned leaves, at least a day or two before the day. However, you can choose to prepare templates for unexpected absences, which you can edit accordingly with the relevant information.
