SOURCE:    Vacation Tracker
TITLE:     14 Out of Office Message Examples You Can Copy
URL:       https://vacationtracker.io/blog/5-out-of-office-email-samples-you-can-use/
LANG:      en
PUBLISHED: 2018-08-06
UPDATED:   2026-10-21
AUTHOR:    Anja
READING:   6 min
TAGS:      leave-management
SUMMARY:   Copy-and-paste out of office message examples for vacation, holidays, sick leave, maternity leave, no backup, short and funny. Free generator too.

14 Out of Office Message Examples You Can Copy

14 Out of Office Email Samples You Can Use

Q: Is there a tool to write an out of office email for me?

Yes! Try our free Out of Office Email Generator , which creates a polished, personalized message in seconds. Before using it, check your dates and contact details and make sure the wording matches whether you'll read email. Then copy your message into your automatic reply and save it.

Author
Anja
Read time
6 minutes
Published
August 6, 2018

Basic Out of Office Email (just get it over with)

Dear sender,
Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office from *date* to *date* and will have limited access to email / will not have access to email. If you require immediate assistance, please contact *Name* at *email*. I will do my best to respond promptly to your email upon my return.
Best,

And just like that, you covered the essentials. You don’t always need to have a Shakespeare-like auto-responder. If you, however, prefer a little creativity, continue reading- it gets more interesting.

Offer Something in Return (marketing never sleeps)

Hello there,
I am currently on my annual leave and will return to the office on *date*. If your request is urgent, please contact my colleague *name* at *email* or *phone*.
To sweeten your wait, I am sending you this great article (hyperlink to your blog) that includes five books you should not miss this summer.

/ or /

Did you know that we publish a weekly newsletter? Oh yeah, it features all the news, updates and tips and trick on how to use *product/service*. Make sure to sign up (hyperlink) and enjoy!
I will get back to you as soon as I am back in the office.
Best,

Keep Them Engaged (you never know)

Hi there,
I will be out of the office until *date*. My colleague *Name* will be happy to assist you.
Don’t let my absence keep you from missing out on the latest updates. Follow us on *Facebook / *Twitter/ *LinkedIn / *Instagram. You will love our GIFs on Twitter, trust me.
Best,

Just because you are away, you still have the chance to keep the business going. Let your email work for you, by offering different things that will ultimately increase the chance to attract new customers. Your marketing team will be so grateful!

A Little Brag Cannot Hurt (for the adventurous)

Hey there,
Vacation Tracker helped me book some days off, so you will not be able to reach me until *date*! I will be busy surfing the waves in Portugal/ climbing Kilimanjaro/ taking pictures on the Great Wall of China/ exploring wildlife in Tanzania.
Luckily for you, my colleague *Name* generously offered to cover for me. You can reach him/her at *email*.
Once I come back on *date*, I will get back to you. Maybe I can even tell you about my adventures.
Best,

Let’s be honest, you worked so hard and now it’s time to have a well-deserved vacation. There is nothing bad in wanting to show off where you are going or what you are doing.

Holiday Out of Office Message (for the festive season)

Hello there,
Our office is closed for *holiday* from *date* to *date*. We will reopen on *date* and start replying to emails then. Nobody will be monitoring this inbox while we're away.
Thank you for your patience, and happy holidays!
Best,

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year: swap in the holiday and check those dates. If the whole company is off, don't send people to a colleague who's also eating leftovers.

Sick Leave Out of Office Message (keep it short)

If you don't have a return date yet:

Hello,
I'm unexpectedly out of the office and won't be checking email. I don't yet have a confirmed return date. For help while I'm away, please contact *Name* at *email*.
Thank you for understanding.
Best,

If you know when you'll be back:

Hello,
I'm out of the office until *date* and won't be checking email while I'm away. For help in the meantime, please contact *Name* at *email*.
Thank you for understanding.
Best,

No need to give your inbox a medical update. Use the first version until you have a return date, then switch to the second.

Maternity and Paternity Leave Out of Office Message (the long one)

Hello there,
I'm on maternity leave and expect to return in *month*. This inbox isn't monitored while I'm away.
For *project or account*, please contact *Name* at *email*. For *billing or other requests*, please contact *Name* at *email*. Please send your request directly to the right person so it doesn't wait here until my return.
Best,

For paternity leave, replace the opening with: "I'm on paternity leave and expect to return in *month*."

Check that your colleagues know which requests they're taking over. Finding out through your auto-reply would be quite the handover.

Out of Office Message With No Backup (when it's just you)

Hello,
I'm out of the office and won't be checking email until *date*. I will start replying on *date*. There is nobody covering this inbox, so I can't offer an urgent response while I'm away. If your request still needs urgent attention when I return, please resend it on *date* with "Urgent" in the subject line.
Thank you for your patience.
Best,

Being a team of one makes the backup-contact bit tricky. If you have a help center, add its address for questions people can resolve themselves. Don't promise a team inbox unless someone actually checks it.

Short and Simple Out of Office Message (the one-liner)

For a few days away:

Thanks for your email. I'm away until *date* and will reply after I return; for urgent help, contact *Name* at *email*.

For a single day:

I'm out of the office today, *date*, and will reply from *date*; for urgent help today, contact *Name* at *email*.

For half a day:

I'm away until *time and time zone* today, *date*, and will reply after that; for urgent help, contact *Name* at *email*.

Short enough to write before you shut the laptop. Just don't make someone in another time zone guess what "this afternoon" means.

Funny Out of Office Message (for the brave)

Hello there,
I'm on vacation until *date*. My laptop wanted to come along, but it couldn't fit its charger into the luggage allowance.
I won't be checking email. For urgent help, please contact *Name* at *email*. I'll start replying when I'm back on *date*.
Best,

Use this with people who'll appreciate the joke. For more laughs, try our funny out of office messages.

Ta-da, you are done! You are one step closer to your vacation. Remember, just because you are away, it doesn’t mean you cannot make someone’s day with a funky OOO email!

If you are just like us and hate operational work and endless procedural to-dos, check out our Vacation Tracker and request leave without the back-and-forth! It’s the number 1 leave management platform and will save your HR department hours every month. Try it out now!

Anja Simić

Anja Simić is a freelance content writer with a passion for HR. She wrote for the Vacation Tracker blog in 2018, sharing practical tips on time off and life at work.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good out of office message?

A good out of office message gives your return date, says whether you'll check email and names someone who can help while you're away. Include that person's role and work email. If nobody is covering, say when you'll start replying instead of sending people to an unattended inbox.

How do I professionally say I am out of office?

Say "I'm out of the office and will return on [date]." Then explain whether you'll read email and give a contact for urgent requests. A greeting and a polite sign-off are enough. You don't need a formal apology, a detailed itinerary or a promise to reply the moment you return.

What should I write for a half-day or one-day out of office?

Give the date and time you'll be available again. For half a day, include your time zone if people elsewhere might contact you. For a full day, name your next working day. Add an urgent contact if you have one, and avoid "back tomorrow" without an actual date.

Do I need to say why I'm away?

No. "I'm out of the office" gives the reader enough context. You can mention a vacation or parental leave if you want to, but keep medical and personal details private if you prefer. Spend the space on when you'll respond and who can help in the meantime.

Should I put my personal phone number in an out of office message?

We recommend a work contact instead. Include your personal number only if you've agreed to take calls while you're away and are comfortable sharing it with everyone who receives the reply. Otherwise, give a colleague's work details, with their agreement, or explain when you'll be available again.

How do I set an out of office message in Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Slack or Google Calendar?

Start with our guides for Microsoft Teams (and Outlook) and Slack. To mark your calendar, follow the Outlook calendar or Google Calendar instructions. An email reply, a chat status and a calendar block do different jobs. Check each one you use, including its dates, before you sign off.

Is there a tool to write an out of office email for me?

Yes! Try our free Out of Office Email Generator, which creates a polished, personalized message in seconds. Before using it, check your dates and contact details and make sure the wording matches whether you'll read email. Then copy your message into your automatic reply and save it.