Finding it difficult to communicate your absence to your colleagues during a vacation? Read this collection of the best holiday out of office messages.
The holiday season is here and if you want to keep your mind at ease and get ready for the coming work week, you might consider letting other people know that you won’t be checking emails for the next few days. After all, we all want a distraction-free holiday to get rid of all the fatigue, after the hard and stressful year.
We’ve put together an awesome list of out of office messages for the holidays, 12 to be specific.
This article contains:
1. What is OOO?
2. What is the purpose of an OOO email?
3. Standard out-of-office messages
4. Out of office subject lines
5. Funny Out of Office messages
6. Internal out-of-office message
7. Lead generation out of office messages
8. Event Promotion out of office templates
9. Social Media promotion OOO message
10. Networking OOO message
11. Blog Traffic and Newsletter promotion OOO template
12. Maternity/Paternity Leave Out of office message
13. Medical leave out of office messages
14. When to write an auto reply OOO?
15. What to include in an OOO email?
16. What to avoid in an OOO email?
Out of message or OOO is a simple, indicative message to clearly inform your colleagues and clients that you’ll not be in the office and replying to the mails or messages might take longer than usual. Even though this looks uncomplicated, people tend to mess it up and not communicate the intent clearly causing confusion to the responders.
OOO is considered a must-follow work etiquette to explain the reason and elucidate what steps the mailer should follow. Auto reply mailer is used to ensure that your colleagues and clients don’t misunderstand you taking time to reply, which might have consequences on your relationship with them.
Read also: 129 This or That Questions For Adults, Students & Friends
Having an out of office message allows you to announce when you'll be away from the office. It allows you to inform customers, clients and co-workers that you will not be readily available via phone or email. Being unavailable from work is a normal part of life for everyone, It comes with the territory when carrying out various roles. Although various organizations see themselves as 24/7 accessible and available, sometimes there may be an unavoidable problem that forces one to stay away from work and be unavailable to clients and end-users. In such circumstances, it's important to let your customers or clients know about your absence before it occurs to them not to be misled into thinking that the lack of response from your side is a refusal or rejection of their requests. This is why it's important to understand the significance of having an out of office message on your devices and emails.
As mentioned already, OOO is an essential hygiene factor in workplace. There are several reasons one should leave an auto reply setting when taking absence leaves from work:
1. Clear communication
2. Acknowledge that you have received the email
3. Avoid any misunderstanding for the late reply
4. Avoid work related disruptions
Being out of office and not sure what to say when you are away attending an event or doing business trips?
An out-of-office message is a way of informing the people that you are not available for an extended period of time. It is important to have one because it leaves your clients with a sense of professionalism and reassurance. They can also help us avoid being inundated with emails while we are away. The message will typically include the date they will be back and how they can be reached while they're away.
The standard out-of-office message usually contains three parts:
1) The sender's name and contact information,
2) A statement that they are away from the office and will not be checking messages until a specified date,
3) A statement that the person's assistant/alternative SPOC will reply to any messages received in this time
Template 1:
Dear Client,
I will be away from the office for the next two weeks and will return by <Date>. If you need anything urgently, please contact my assistant (Contact details).
Sincerely,
My Name
Read also: 150+ Positive Wednesday Motivation Quotes For Work
Template 2:
Subject: out-of-office message
Dear _______,
Due to a schedule change, I will be unavailable in the office from ________ to ___________. You can get in touch with (contact details) in my absence.
Regards,
(name)
Template 3:
Dear____________,
My absence can be noted in the office form _________ to __________.(Name and contact information) will be on hand to help you in the interim.
Regards,
(name)
Template 1:
Subject: Out of office
Dear client,
Thank you for your interest in my services. I am out of the office for the next few days till ____________. Please reach out on my personal number if it is extremely important.
Sincerely,
Name
Template 2:
Subject: out of office
Dear client,
I'm away on urgent business for the time being. I will be returning to the office on ___________ and I will be checking my email after hours until then. In case of an urgent matter, please contact (contact information).
Regards,
(your name)
Template 3:
Subject: out of office
Dear client,
Thank you for getting in touch with me. Please accept my sincere thanks for your message. However, I am presently away from work due to unexpected circumstances and won't return until (date). During this time, email contact may be irregular or nonexistent.
You can reach us at: (contact information) in the meantime.
Regards,
(your name)
Dear ________,
Please excuse me for not being available to answer emails until ________. I will be out of the office for a meeting. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
[insert your name]
Hi ________,,
I am currently on vacation till _________. If you need anything, please contact my colleague <contact details>.
Thank you,
[insert your name]
Dear ________,Thank you for contacting me. I understand that your mail is important. However, I will be out of the office from __________, until ___________.
__________ will be available in my absence (Contact details).
Regards,
Name
Dear ________,,
Thanks for your email. I’m currently out of the office, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. I’ll return on ______________.
In the meantime, here are some resources that might help:
Until then, check out our __________________ (Link). You might find an answer to your question there.
Still have questions? Feel free to reach out to _______________ for more information.
Regards,
Name
Read also: 200+ Work Anniversary quotes, wishes and messages for your colleagues
Out of office subject line ideas are a great way to let your clients and coworkers know that you are not going to be able to respond to their inquiries for a certain period.
The following are some out of office subject line ideas for you to use:
The conventional wisdom is that all OOO mails are to be professional and formal, but we live in a world where the richest men of the world retweet dank memes. Informal and subtle casual tone works wonders. So we have included some funny, witty and unconventional templates for out of office messages:
Let’s level up this vacation message to make it more creative and fun. Here is a creative example of out of office message:
Dear,
This season I plan to celebrate my vacation with random gifts of kindness and the most tender-hearted gift would be to tell you that while I will not be available from _______ to _____ you still have a chance to get your work done!!!
In just three simple steps:
1. Open your desktop
2. Go to an airline website
3. And book yourself a ticket…
jk jk…..you get to contact my most trusted colleague (name and contact).
Thanks and regards,
On a serious note, Here are some reasons you should put more thought into your out-of-office messages.
Dear client,
I will be off the grid from (date) to (date) and during this brief period, I will not be responding to emails. In cases of need for urgent redressal of queries contact (name and contact). Otherwise, I will be glad to help after I return.
Thanks and regards,
Dear ___________,
Subject: Will be Namjooning!!!
I either sleep for 20 hours straight or get no sleep at all. During this time of the year, I spend my days like Yoongi (sleeping whenever I want). This army is resting and will not be responding to emails until after (date). In the meantime, vibe to SUPER TUNA, browse Vkook edits, or spend your savings on BTS merch. Nah!! That will be my job during the vacations. You, on the other hand, will be assisted by (name and contact).
P.S. If you don’t get the reference, then just focus on the numbers.
Regards,
(name)
Dear ___________,
The new year is almost around the corner and the snow in front of my door is begging me to return to my childhood. In an attempt to fulfill God’s wishes I will be out of the office from _________ to _______2018, you guessed it, I'll be traveling time to fulfill God's desires! Therefore, if you can't email me in 2018 don't bother!! In case of emergencies, call the nearest police station. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
P.S. To learn more about our holiday week refer to the attachment below.
Regards,
(name)
Read also: 30+ Funny Back to Work Memes to help your Return to Office
Internal OOO should be specific since it might help people working on projects with you. This way, they can keep track of the project and plan their timelines accordingly.
Hello,
I'm out of the office until _________ and will respond to your emails once I return. If you need to access the__________(project resource), you should access this folder in the drive ______(link), If you need any other help with the project, you should contact _____________(contact details)
Thank you,
Name
Hello there,
I won’t be at my desk till ______. If you are looking for additional direction about the ________ project, kindly contact _______. I’ve provided him/her with all the neccesery details that you'd need.
Take care,
Name
Hey!
My availability in the office will be limited until ________. During this time, the project will be overseen by (name and contact information). Please refer to the attachments below for further information or contact the project head if you need assistance.
Thanks and regards,
(name)
Greetings,
My overseas trip will keep me out of the office until ________. As a result, I will not be able to respond to emails in my usual capacity. The current project will be placed on hold until after the visit is completed. During this period, you will be assigned your newly created tasks by (name and contact information).
Please feel free to contact (name and contact) in case of an emergency.
Thanks and regards
(name)
Out of office need not be plain and boring, since it goes out to several mailers. It can also serve a touchpoint to generate leads for your business, who knows? One of them might even convert into a prospective customer. A good out of office message is one of the easiest things you can do to nurture your leads. But that doesn't mean you should treat them as an afterthought. You see, out of office messages are a great opportunity to show off your personality, brand, and what makes your business unique. It is important that the OOO mails fit the company style and communicate with leads in a way that builds trust, continues to build your brand, and actually helps you generate new leads.
In case you're off to a business trip or vacation, there is no need to worry about any existing sales or lead pipeline that you would be working on if you automate an OOO response. Staying in touch with prospective future cllient you worked with is necessary to ensure you don't lose them to competitors. It also gives them an update on the current status. The following Sales funnel OOO template which might help you with the task in hand
Lead generation out of office template 1
Greeting,
Unfortunately, I am out of the office until ____________ as I will be attending the ________________(Event) at _________ (Location)
In case this is urgent, feel free to contact _________________. I will respond to your email once I return on _______________.
Regards,
Name
Lead generation out of office template 2
Dear,
I am out of office till _______and have limited access to mail.
If you need assistance, please contact _________
Meanwhile do check out our e-book on _________. We have crafted it with the help of industry experts and you might find it extremely insightful.
In case you are curious to know what we are working on currently, check out _________
Regards,
Name
Dear <name>,
I will be unreachable through email from _______ to _______ due to a medical appointment. Your interest in our organization is highly valued and appreciated. Hence, I would request your contact (name and contact details) during this interval.
You might find the answer to your queries in the FAQ section of our website (link). Please feel free to ask any questions in the inquiry box, and a member of our staff will respond to you as soon as they can. Kindly check out the new user-friendly add-ons on our website in the meantime.
Regards,
Dear ______,
Thank you for your email. We cherish your partnership with our organization. However, my availability via email will be reduced for the next two weeks.
During my absence from the office (name and contact information) will be addressing your concerns.
And while you wait for his response (which won’t be too long), kindly check out the brochure below to understand more about our upcoming projects.
Thanks and regards,
Read also: 60+ Empathetic Thank You Messages for Your Coworkers
You are about to attend a conference or a training and you will be out of office for the next few days. Use the following sample out of office templates to communicate that you are away and give your team/clients more information on who to contact in case they have any questions.
Additionally you can even use OOO mails to promote the event you are attending. Businesses often organize seminars, workshops and conferences to create awareness among their customers and stakeholders. The following is an out of office template to help you promote your event in a professional manner. They are easy to edit and you can use them as a guide in sending out your own emails or SMSs during the event. Every mailer is a prospective attendee for your webinar or conference!
Event promotion out of office template
Dear,
Since I am a keynote speaker at the __________(event details), I’ll out of office and until ___________
In case you are in the city, do drop by. I’ll be sharing important insights on ___________(topic) and we can have a chance to connect.
Regards,
Name
Hey {recipient name},
I'm out of the office until {date}. Can you do me a favour and take a look at this event (Link) that I'm organizing this month? I'll be back on Monday, and we can go over it together if you are interested.
Thanks,
{sender name}
Dear,
Our company’s business conclave will keep me occupied until ________. In the interim, you can direct all your messages to (name and contact).
If you are looking to interact with like-minded people this conclave is for you. A perusal of the attached brochure will give you a better insight into the conclave and the procedure for enrolment into the same.
Thank you,
Dear,
I will be out of office from ________ to _______ for an overseas seminar. (name and contact) will be available to address any queries in my absence.
If you are looking to expand your pool of experiences kindly check out the link ______ for the seminar I will be attending and perhaps we can have a chance to connect. For more information on the seminar contact (name and contact).
Thanks and regards,
Dear,
My accessibility via mail will be reduced until _____. You will be assisted by _____ during my absence.
And while you wait for my return you can check out our Instagram (link) and Facebook (link) pages to participate in our campaigns and for the latest updates on seminars and conferences.
Thanks and regards,
Dear,
I will be taking a personal day on ______ and will be back only on _________. In case of urgent messages kindly contact (name and contact information).
To know what compelled me to take a personal check out our company’s social media handle (link and details). Also, check out the posts about employee engagement to make sure you pay as much attention to the needs of your employees as they do to the needs of your organization.
Thanks and regards,
Any online marketer will tell you, that social media drives an immense amount of traffic to websites. Whether it's a blog, a personal social profile or a business page, if you are active on social media and want more visitors to your blog/landing page, you should pay attention to your out of office message as well. This can be the first thing that potential customers see when they contact you on social media. We've put together some out of office message examples for social media profiles. It is important to link your social media handles in all the outbound mails that you send across. Hence, OOO emails are no exemption.
Hello,
I’ll out of office and not reply to your mail until ________
Meanwhile, do check out our twitter handle ______________ (Details)
______________(Industry veteran) will be a doing an AMA. It’ll be really interesting!
Regards,
Name
Subject: Sending you a little sunshine from the beach
Hey {recipient name},
I hope you're doing well! I am sending you this email from _________, it's too beautiful not to share.
I'm currently on vacation, but before I left I wanted to give you an update on our event promotion/social media campaign. It's going great! We are offering a 20% discount on our yearly billing, do check it out!
This is just one of our many campaigns that are proving to be successful at helping our clients drive engagement and build revenue. We have a lot of exciting projects coming up too, so stay tuned.
We would love to chat with you more
Read also: 25 funny and lighthearted office pranks ideas to use at work
Personalizing your out of office notifications is essential. You don't want your prospects to feel like they aren't important or that you don't care about them. The following auto-generated message template might be good start, but it's not going to seal the deal.
Hello,
I am out of office, attending __________conference (details) between _______ and _________
In case, you are around. Feel free to drop me a message at _________ (contact). I’d be glad to connect and discuss what we are building over a cup of coffee.
Thanks,
Name
Hello!
I will be out of office until__________. You can reach out to (name & contact) for assistance.
And if you are looking for a financial advisor for your company in the meantime, then our organization will be glad to connect with you via mail. Check out the link below to learn more about our newest branch.
Regards,
Hi!
Thank you for your email. However, I am out of office until ________ and the communications will be handled by (name and contact).
But if you happen to be attending the (name of the seminar or conclave you are participating in), then feel free to hit me up on (contact information) and we can catch up for a brainstorming session.
Regards,
Out of Office (OOO) mail is a great way to take advantage of the time you are away from your office. OOO mail combined with a blog promotion can provide an incredible flow of traffic at a lower cost than advertising.
Out-of-office autoreplies have the power to point contacts from your mail towards material you've created elsewhere (Blog, Newsletter, Youtube, etc) . By utilizing a few different strategic methods in setting up out-of-office autoresponders, you can engage multiple platforms and guide potential customers to material that is more beneficial to them
Hello,
I have limited access to mail and will be replying to you by ________
Meanwhile, do check out our latest blog on _________(topic), I am sure you will find it interesting.
Best,
Name
Thank you very much for your email.
I am currently on leave from the office due to __________ and will return on ________.
I'm looking forward to talking with you then.
Meanwhile, please check out our most recent newsletter entry here ________, where our content team has articulated the issue of __________ really well. I believe it will be an excellent starting point for your __________ project.
Regards,
Name
Hi there!
I am out of office to attend to some personal matters. If your email can wait, I'll respond on , once I return.
If urgent, please contact the person temporarily filling in for me at
Meanwhile, do you read our monthly blog publication! We will keep you updated about (Industry) with a lot of great content.
I'll respond as soon as I return to my desk.
Regards,
Name
Hello!
The holiday season is around the corner and most of us will be out of office from __________ to _________, but before we leave for a week-long break to recharge our social batteries, I have a little something that will transform your holidays into an educational break.
Here is the link (link) to our upcoming blogging website about the prediction of market trends in the next season. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge of the graphs that can help spiral your growth.
Thanks and regards,
I will be out of the office from ____ to _____. If this is an emergency please contact _____________. Otherwise, I will respond to your mail when I return.
In the meantime, you can check out the latest issue of our newsletter _______. The highlights this year include ______,___,______. I am sure you will find the articles most intriguing.
Regards,
You're an office superstar, your manager fully trusts you and your tasks are appreciated — but you're about to take some holidays. You're going on maternity/paternity leave and everyone needs a replacement. What you need is an out of office message that's witty and fun while remaining professional.
Saying goodbye to your team for a period of time can be hard, especially if you've never written an out of office message before. You want it to be perfect, but you don't know the best way to convey the right amount of friendliness and focusing on the facts. Say no more! Following is a useful template to help you optimise your own out of office mail draft. It is essential to drop the replacement’s contact during maternity leave as one may be on leave for 6 months.
Hello office buddies,
It is with a heart full of fatherly affection I inform you that I will be on paternity leave from ____________ to _____________. All my accounts will be looked over by _________. But in case you feel like dropping by my place to meet the lovely child I am bestowed upon the honor of father then you are most welcome.
Regards,
Hello!
I will be out of office on account of a maternity leave from ___________ to __________. (name and contact) will be replacing me for the time being. I hope to resume my official duties as soon as possible.
Thanks and regards,
Hello,
I’ll be away on maternity/paternity leave from ______ to _______. During this period, ________(Contact details) will be handling all my accounts. Feel free to drop her a mail.
Regards,
Name
The Medical Leave out of office email is a type of email that is sent to inform the recipients about the absence of an employee from work due to illness or injury. The email should contain information about the duration and reason for absence (while not delving into the details) and contact information for any person who can be contacted in case of emergency.
Hey there,
Thank you for your message. I will be out of the office on account of medical leave from —— to ——-, and I will be unable to reply back to your emails during this time.
In case this matter needs to resolved urgently, Please contact ___________
Thank you for your patience.
Name
Dear,
As per the doctor’s advice, I will be on medical leave from __________ to __________ and will not be as regular in my responses. In case of emergencies contact (name and contact).
Thanks and regards,
Dear,
A leg injury has rendered me unable to walk for the next few weeks and I will be on medical leave until ________. Kindly, contact ____________ in my absence.
Thanks and regards,
Read also: 500+ Funny and Clever Team Names for Your Workplace
Apart from the categories listed above, it is always good to turn to some good and fun out of office message examples that you can use directly in all situations.
Dear,
Thank you for your email. I will be unplugged from technology from __________ to _________ and will respond as soon as I am able. If you need immediate assistance please contact (insert contact).
Thank you,
name
Hello!
While being a diligent employee is my responsibility, some engagements cannot be eluded. I am on my way to attend one such engagement (that would be my own engagement) and will not be available from _______ to _____. If you are in need of assistance during this period contact _____. Otherwise, I will respond to the emails as soon as I return.
Thank you,
name
While writing an OOO email you might come across instances when the Shakespeare in you would have given up. To shine some light on those dark moments here we have some of the most commonly used phrases you can include in your OOO emails.
1. When you’re on a holiday
2. Holiday Season
3. Conference
4. Personal emergency
5. Sabbatical or long leave of absence
This is crucial in an auto reply message. You can very briefly mention the reason for your absence. Ideally, you should not dive deep into the reason if it is personal. The ‘why’ part will address the curiosity of the mailer as to your delay and will help them decide whether to proceed with their plan or project.
This is the most important part of the mail and must be included in your OOO. This is the primary reason why OOO exists, If you are working on a project with a client and your presence is needed to take some key decisions, the ‘when’ part will let them anticipate your arrival and plan accordingly so that there are no overall disruptions.
You should include ‘what to do incase this is a work related emergency’. Either give a personal contact, or list out steps to be taken if it is an extremely specific task. You can also include ‘people to contact’ in case they can help the respondents figure things out.
1. Don’t be overly casual
2. Don’t include personal details: readers don’t want to know where you are holidaying or what you are drinking
3. Don’t make it a lengthy novel, keep it short and simple
4. Don’t set unrealistic expectations with respect to timelines
5. Don’t forget to inform your colleagues (Personal assistant, reportee, etc) before you include their details in the email.
What is a better way to communicate to the clients that you are going on holiday, than with a short and sweet out-of-office message? The type of message depends on your sense of humor and the relationship you have with them.
If you are close to them, incorporate some humour into the message. You’ll want to consider just how formal or informal the culture of your office is. Creating a clever out-of-office message can be a fun way to show your personality and more closely connect with your clients and company. When in doubt, use one of these twelve examples as inspiration for your out-of-office messages.
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The following steps will guide you to set up an OOO on Outlook:
1. Select “File > Automatic Replies” Or “Rules and Alerts” Depending on the outlook version
2. Then select “Send automatic replies”.
3. You will be presented with two text boxes: “Inside your organisation” & “Outside your organisation”
4. Enter the text and click OK
The out-of-office message is an email that informs the mailer that you are not working from your desk. It explains when you’ll be back and who will be your substitute when you are away. Occasionally, when you are taking a personal time off from your office and are planning to be out of communication, you have no chance to visit your email account. While you can't do anything about the visitors throughout your absence, there is something that you can do. All you need to do is to send an out-of-office email reply message and make them aware about your current situation and inform them when they can expect a response.
Yes, Ideally one for colleagues and one for clients. If you manage multiple inboxes, then you’ll certainly have to make alterations to your OOO.
We're sure you've used an out-of-office reply before. They are those automated messages that tell people that you are currently on vacation or out of the office and that they should direct their message to someone else in the company for a response. We're also sure you used just one of them, maybe two at a time. In fact, You might have used only one cookie cutter out-of-office email message. But it doesn't always have the desired effect like a personalised email. Hence, Use as many personalised out-of-office messages as you'd like! There's no limit to the number of OOOs you can have. The caveat with multiple OOOs is that you must be consistent so that your recipients are clear about when to expect a response from you.
The out of office email is one of the most important emails in your campaign. It sets the tone for your employees and reminds them to respect your time when you are away. One error in this email, though, can do a lot of damage.
Chances are you'll want to use out of office for vacation or traveling. People like being able to easily check how long you've been away. When the out of office is set up and working properly it will display a message to your email contacts letting them know when you'll be back and reminding them that they should contact someone else if it's urgent.
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