Imagine these two scenarios: 1. You finally snag a travel ticket for a long holiday, only to find your inbox stacked with ‘Where are you?’ emails. 2. You manage to take an annual vacation, only to receive a bunch of ‘Are you there?’ emails ……
These scenarios are commonplace in the workplace, and there’s plenty of research to show that 70% of working professionals still receive work emails when they’re on vacation. Don’t panic, Out Of Office Message (OOO) can help you get out of it gracefully! This little auto-responder will save you from the fire and keep your boss and clients happy. Want to know how amazing it is? Read on!
In the following passage, I will introduce some practical tips about suitably writing an out-of-Office Message.
What Elements Must Be Included in an Out-of-Office Message?
Out Of Office Message (OOO Message) is an auto-responder tool used to notify senders of your status when you are temporarily unavailable to handle an email or contact. It is very common in the workplace, especially for vacations, business trips, illness, or focused work scenarios, to help maintain professional communication and ensure business continuity.
Have you ever regretted not setting OOO or setting the wrong OOO?
A courteous and professional out-of-office Message tells people that you are temporarily unavailable, which not only reduces the number of interruptions without being rude but also saves you the trouble of having to spend your free time on vacation.
To ensure that OOO messages are polite and official, the following elements and information are necessary.
1. Thank you and acknowledgement
- Acknowledge that you have received the sender’s email by starting with a polite expression such as “Thank you for your email” or “Hi there.” This step shows that you value communication and enhances your professional image.
- From most people’s case summaries, most formal messages begin with “Thank you for your email.”
2. Absence Notices
- Clearly state that you are currently out of the office and provide specific dates or time periods of absence (e.g., “From March 3 to March 10, 2025”).
- This is the core message that lets the sender know why you can’t respond immediately. Also, the dates should be clear and not vague.
3. Return date
- Tell the sender when you will return or resume answering emails (e.g., “will resume work on March 10th”). This helps the other party plan for follow-up communication.
- If the return date is uncertain (e.g. long term sick leave), you can say “until further notice” or “expected to resume in the next few weeks”, but this is usually uncommon and it is advisable to be as specific as possible.
4. Emergency Contacts
- Provide contact information for an alternate contact person or department (e.g., “For urgent matters, please contact Ming Li at liming@example.com or 123-456-7890”) to ensure that important matters are handled in a timely manner.
- Multiple sources emphasize that this step is key to professional messaging and is especially important in the case of customer or external contacts. If there is no alternative contact, it can be expressed as follows
- If there is no alternative contact, it can be expressed as “I will reply to your email as soon as I return”, but this may not be appropriate in all scenarios.
5. Polite endings
- End with a polite expression such as “Best regards” or “Thank you for your understanding,” and sign your name (e.g., “Zhang Wei “) to maintain a professional image.
- The signature section usually includes your title or contact information (e.g., “Alice, Sales Manager”), but this is not mandatory and depends on company policy.
Additional Considerations: Information and Notes
- Reason (optional): Although not mandatory, you can briefly state the reason for your absence, such as “on vacation” or “on business,” to increase transparency. However, this part can be omitted, especially in a formal setting, by keeping it “on vacation” or “out of office” to avoid revealing too much personal information.
- Tone and length: The message should be concise and clear, avoiding long speeches. The tone should be adjusted according to the target audience: to customers or external contacts, keep it formal; to colleagues, it can be a bit lighter (e.g., “Hey, I’m going out to play!”). Privacy: Avoid revealing too much about your personal life.
- Privacy: To prevent potential security risks, avoid revealing too many personal details, such as vacation spots or family information.
- Technical Settings: Depending on company policy, ensure that messages are only sent to external contacts or specific recipients. This is at the settings level, not in the content section.
To summarize, a polite and official Out Of Office Message must contain a thank you and acknowledgement, an absence notice, a return date, an emergency contact and a polite closing.
In some special cases (such as long-term sick leave), if a specific return date cannot be provided, it can be expressed as “until further notice” or “expected to resume in the next few weeks.”
Remember to ensure that these elements of the message are professional and clear and help the sender find a solution. Additional information, such as reasons, can be adjusted as needed, but it should be kept concise to avoid privacy breaches.
Best Out-Of-Office Message Templates For Different Scenarios
Now that you understand the basics of Out-of-office messages let’s examine the specific templates for different scenarios. Refer to the templates below and modify them according to your situation.
Finally, it is recommended that you bookmark this article to refer to it later!
1. Outgoing vacation template (personal vacation or family trip)
- Scenario: You are away from work due to personal vacation, family trip, or statutory holidays (e.g., Chinese New Year, Christmas).
- Purpose: To inform coworkers, clients, or other contacts that you are out of the office and to avoid misunderstandings due to a lack of replies.
- Example: You are on a week-long beach vacation, and your email is set to “Vacation from March 3 to March 10, 2025”.
Subject: Out of Office Auto-Reply
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I am currently on vacation from [start date] to [end date] and will not be able to check my work email during this time. I will return to the office on [return date] and will respond to your email as soon as possible. For urgent matters, please contact [alternate contact name] at [alternate contact email] or [alternate contact phone].
Sincerely
[Your Name]
2. Long weekends or short vacations
- Scenario: You are away from work for a short period of time for a long weekend or a short vacation (e.g., a three-day mini-vacation).
- Purpose: To manage expectations and ensure the person knows when you will return.
- Example: You take a long weekend from March 7 to March 9 and return to work on March 10th.
Subject: Out of Office Auto-Reply
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office from [start date] to [end date] for a short vacation and may not be able to respond to your email in a timely manner. I will return to work on [return date] and will deal with your email. For urgent matters, please contact [name of alternate contact] at [email address of alternate contact] or [phone number of alternate contact].
Sincerely
[Your Name]
3. Business trip
- Scenario: Out of town on business, e.g., attending a meeting, visiting a client, and may not be able to handle daily emails in a timely manner.
- Purpose: Manage expectations, explain that you may have limited email access, and provide emergency contact information.
- Example: Traveling out of town to attend an industry conference from March 5th to March 7th and unable to respond in a timely manner.
Subject: Out of office autoresponder
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I am currently traveling on business from [start date] to [end date] and will not be able to check my emails in time. I will return to the office on [return date] and will respond to your email as soon as possible. For urgent matters, please contact [alternate contact name] at [alternate contact email] or [alternate contact phone].
Sincerely
[Your Name]
4. Sickness or emergency
- Scenario: Temporarily unable to work due to health issues (e.g., flu) or unexpected events (e.g., family emergencies).
- Purpose: To notify others of your absence, to avoid distress due to non-response, and to protect privacy.
- Example: Take two days off from work due to a cold and set OOO until March 6th.
Subject: Out of office autoresponder
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I am currently out of work due to illness and will return to work on [expected return date]. I apologize for the inconvenience. For urgent matters, please contact [alternate contact name] at [alternate contact email] or [alternate contact phone].
Sincerely
[Your Name]
5. Ongoing Focus Program
- Scenario: You have a tight deadline on a project and need to block out distractions to focus on your work.
- Purpose: To minimize interruptions by informing others that you are not accepting non-urgent contact for the time being.
- Example: Focusing on completing quarterly reports may delay answering emails for the next week.
Subject: Out of office autoresponder
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I am currently focusing on a critical project and may not be able to respond immediately. I will take care of your email as soon as possible. For time-sensitive matters, please contact [alternate contact name] at [alternate contact email] or [alternate contact phone].
Sincerely
[Your Name]
6. Maternity or paternity leave
Scenario: This refers to situations where a parent takes leave to care for a newborn child, either as a birth parent (maternity leave) or as a non-birth parent (paternity leave). It is usually a longer period of absence and may last for several weeks or months.
- Purpose: OOO Messages should inform contacts that you are on leave, make it clear that you will not be checking or responding to emails while on leave, and provide contact information for urgent matters. The message should respect this important life event while maintaining professional boundaries, emphasizing that you are completely out of work while on leave, and ensuring that the contact is aware of your unavailability.
Subject: Out of Office Autoresponder – Maternity Leave
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I am currently on maternity leave and will be returning to the office on [date]. During this time, I will not be able to check my work email regularly. For urgent matters, please contact [alternate contact name] at [alternate contact email] or [alternate contact phone].
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely
[Your Name]
7. Jury duty or court appearances
- Scenario: This is a temporary absence from work due to a legal obligation (e.g., jury service or court appearance), where the duration of the absence may be known (e.g., a specific date) or unknown (e.g., trial may be extended).
- Purpose: The OOO message should inform others that you are unavailable due to a legal obligation and may not be able to access work communications. Provide the date or duration of the absence (if known). Also, provide contact information for urgent matters to ensure business continuity. The message should be professional and direct, respecting the nature of the legal obligation.
Subject: Out of Office Autoresponders – Jury Duty
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I am currently on jury duty and will be unavailable from [start date] through [end date]. During this time, I will not be able to check my work email. For time-sensitive questions, please contact [alternate contact name] at [alternate contact email] or [alternate contact phone].
I apologize for this inconvenience and will respond to your email upon my return.
Sincerely
[Your Name]
8. Departmental transfers or job role changes
- Scenario: You move to a new department or role in the company and there may be a transition period during which you may not be able to handle the responsibilities of your former position.
- Purpose: The OOO message should inform the contact that you are in a transition period and may not be able to handle the tasks of your former position, and provide contact information (e.g., replacement or department) for matters related to your former position. The message should be clear and helpful to ensure that the contact knows who to contact during and after the transition and to facilitate the handover of business.
Subject: Out-of-Office Autoresponders – Departmental Transfers
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I have moved to a new department in the company and will no longer be handling the duties of my previous position as of [date]. If you have any questions related to my previous job, please contact [replacement name] at [replacement email] or [replacement phone].
Thank you for your understanding during this transition.
Sincerely
[Your Name]
9. Meetings or training
- Scenario: This is when you attend a professional development event (e.g., a conference or training) that may require you to be out of the office, during which time email access may be limited, usually on a fixed schedule.
- Purpose: The OOO message should inform others that you are attending the event, specify the date of the event, and indicate whether or not you will be checking your email occasionally. If not, contact information for urgent matters is required. Messages can be slightly more lighthearted, mentioning the name of the meeting or training and demonstrating your commitment to professional development while ensuring that contacts are aware of your limited availability.
Subject: Out of Office Autoresponders – Attending Meetings
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I am currently attending a conference from [start date] to [end date] and may have limited access to my email. I will do my best to respond to urgent emails, but there may be a delay. For immediate assistance, please contact [alternate contact name] at [alternate contact email] or [alternate contact phone].
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely
[Your Name]
10. Holiday or company closure
- Scenario: The company is on full vacation due to legal holidays (e.g., Christmas) or company policy (e.g., annual closure), and the office is closed for operations.
- Purpose: To notify external contacts that the company is temporarily closed and unable to handle emails or business, to ensure that the person understands why they cannot respond immediately, and to provide emergency contact information to handle urgent matters.
Subject: Office Closure Notice
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. Our office is closed from [start date] to [end date] for [holiday/occasion, e.g. Christmas]. We will resume normal business hours on [return date]. For urgent matters, please contact [Alternate Contact Name] at [Alternate Contact Email] or [Alternate Contact Phone].
Yours sincerely
[Your Name]
11. Weekends or non-working hours
- Scenario: You are unable to check your work email on weekends, after hours, or during non-working hours (e.g., late at night), which are breaks outside of your personal working hours.
- Purpose: To set boundaries, manage expectations, inform senders that you will not respond to emails outside of work hours, and provide emergency contact information for time-sensitive matters.
Subject: Out of Office Autoresponders – Out of Hours
Dear [sender’s name],
Thank you for your email. I am currently out of office hours ([e.g., after 8 pm]) and will not be checking my work email. I will reply to your email on [next business day/time]. For urgent matters, please contact [alternate contact name] at [alternate contact email] or [alternate contact phone].
Yours sincerely
[Your Name]
The applicability of these scenarios depends on your specific situation, and it is recommended that you select the appropriate OOO message based on your actual needs.
It is recommended that you set this up the day before or on the day of your absence to ensure that the entire period of absence is covered
How To Create Out Of Office Message In Outlook, Gmail
Setting up OOO messages is an important part of workplace etiquette, especially during extended absences (such as vacations or sick days).
The setup of Outlook varies by version and account type and consists mainly of the desktop version (Classic Outlook) and the web version (Outlook on the Web)
How To Create Out Of Office Message In Outlook(Desktop Version)
- Open Outlook and click on the File tab.
- In the Messages section, select Auto-Reply or Auto-Reply when out of office. If you don’t see an “Auto-Reply” button, you may need to use a rule setting.
- Check the “Send automatic replies” option.
- If you need to set a time period, select “Send only within this time frame” and set a start and end date. According to Microsoft Support: Set up auto-reply (out of office), you can choose not to set a time period, but it is recommended to specify the time to avoid forgetting.
- Write message content. You can set up different messages for contacts inside and outside your organization, entered in the Inside Organization and Outside Organization tabs, respectively.
Details you need to pay attention to: If you are using an IMAP or POP3 account (such as Gmail or Yahoo), you may need to use rules to create an auto-reply, which is a slightly more complicated procedure. According to Microsoft Support: Use rules to create an out of office message, you will need to create a template and set up rules for non-Exchange account users.
How To Create Out Of Office Message In Outlook(Web Version)
- Open “Settings” > “Mail” > “Autoresponders.”
- Turn on the “Enable Auto-Reply” toggle button.
- Set the time period for the reply to take effect.
- Write message content to set different messages for internal and external contacts of your organization.
Details you need to pay attention to: the web version supports sending replies to each sender at once, avoiding duplicate sending. It is suitable for managing a large number of external emails. If the steps don’t match, you may be using an older version and need to refer to Classic Outlook Settings.
How To Create Out Of Office Message In Gmail
- Open Gmail on your computer.
- Click on the Settings gear icon in the upper right corner and select “See All Settings”.
- Under the “General” tab, find the “Vacation Replies” section.
- Check “Enable vacation replies” and set the start and end dates.
- Write a subject and message content, and optionally send replies to your contacts only.
- Click “Save Changes”.
Details you need to pay attention to: Gmail’s holiday replies are sent only once per sender and are not re-sent to spammers or senders who have already replied. If the sender sends it again after 4 days, Gmail will send an updated reply again.
Best Practices You May Need To Be Aware Of
- Clear Dates: make clear the start and end dates of the absence.
- Emergency contact: provide contact information for an alternate contact person or department.
- Keep it short and simple: keep the message short and avoid long speeches.
- Professional tone: Adjust the tone according to the audience, keep it formal for customers and slightly lighter for colleagues.
- Activation period management: Ensure that messages are only activated during an absence and are closed promptly upon return.
Other Popular Email Platforms To Set Up
Other platforms, such as Yahoo and iCloud, also have similar functions:
- Yahoo: Similar to Gmail, go to Settings > Autoresponders and set the time and message.
- iCloud: Look for the “Auto-Reply” option in iCloud Mail Settings, a similar operation.
Users are advised to look for “out of office” or “vacation responder” settings according to their specific email provider.
What Platforms Should I Set Up Out Of Office Messages On?
Depending on the communication needs, such as for internal company members, customers, or team members, OOO messages can be published on the following platforms:
| Platform | Scenario | Example |
| Outlook、Gmail、Apple Mail | Most common, applicable to all scenarios | Set up an auto-reply via Outlook or Gmail, e.g. “I can’t reply in time while I’m on vacation, please contact Li”. |
| Slack、Microsoft Teams | Internal team communication | Set “Out of Office until March 10” in your status to make it easier for your coworkers to understand. |
Telephone Voicemail | Scenarios involving telephone communication | Record a voice message, “I am currently out of the office and will return on March 5, please leave a message or contact XXX.” |
| Internal notification system | Internal forum or shared calendar | Mark “OOO” time slots in Google Calendar to let team members know. |
| Social Media | Customer or public-facing scenarios | Post a short notice on your company X-account, e.g., “The team will be training on March 3, and responses will be suspended.” |
Note: The choice of these platforms depends on who you are communicating with and your company’s policies, and it is recommended to prioritize email as the primary channel.
Q&A of Out Of Office Message
Here are the questions and answers you may encounter when setting up Out Of Office Messages:
How do you set up out-of-office messages?
- For the Outlook desktop version, you need to click “File” > “Auto-reply” and set the time and content;
- for Gmail, you need to go to “Settings” > “Holiday Reply”, check the box to enable and fill in the message. Gmail needs to go to “Settings” > “Vacation Reply”, check the box to enable and fill in the message.
For a detailed tutorial, please see above.
What should be included in the message?
- An absence statement (e.g., “I am currently on vacation”).
- Specific dates (e.g., “From March 3 to March 10”).
- Emergency contact information (e.g., “Please contact Ming Li at liming@example.com”).
- Polite ending (e.g., “Thank you for your understanding”).
Avoid vague statements such as “I will reply as soon as possible” to avoid misinformation.
What should the tone be?
- Keep it formal with clients (e.g., “Thanks for your email, I’m currently traveling”).
- Be a little more relaxed with coworkers (e.g., “Hey, I’m out for a night on the town!”) I’m hanging out!”).
Please avoid getting too personal, such as mentioning specific vacation plans.
How do you handle different types of absences?
- Long-term leave can detail the return date, while sick leave can briefly state “unable to work due to illness.”
- A substitute contact person would be required for long-term leave, while short-term leave could refer to a later response.
How do I manage multiple mailboxes or roles?
- If you have multiple work mailboxes with different roles, you can set up different messages; if unified, use a generic template.
How are OOO messages handled when working remotely?
- Even when you’re at home, you can set up OOO to indicate that you won’t handle emails, e.g., “Currently focusing on a project, delayed reply.”
Certain industries (such as legal or medical) may have more stringent OOO message requirements, such as providing 24/7 contact information or adhering to a specific format, in which case you will need to review your company’s policies and set up your responses accordingly.
Finally, you are reminded to avoid sharing too much personal information, such as vacation spots or health conditions, when setting up out-of-office messages.
