out of office messageHolidays are essential. If you don’t take any all year long, you’re bound to get overworked and exhausted. There’s a reason why the sun goes down at night and it needs to set on your career temporarily every once in a while. During this time, there are a lot of people who want to get in touch with you. This is inevitable; the world doesn’t stop for anyone. To make sure those people know that you’re out of the office and on holiday, or have taken a sabbatical, you need to leave an out of office message. There are lots of ways to express yourself with your out of office message. Here are some of the favorites we have seen.

The No-Nonsense Message

Sometimes there isn’t time to get creative and leave a detailed message. If you need to get out of the office soon and leave a generic message about where you’re going and how long you will be away, that’s perfectly fine.

Hello,

I will be away from work from (month/date) to (month/date) and will not have access to my work e-mail. If you need to communicate something to me urgently, please contact me at (e-mail) or (phone). Otherwise I will reply to your e-mail promptly when I get back.

Sincerely,
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The Referral Message

Sometimes your position or designation is so important that a certain message or update cannot wait until you come back from your holiday. In that case, you should craft an out of office message that refers the sender to a subordinate or a customer service representative or someone in the human resources department.

Hello,

I’m unable to respond to your query at this time since I’m away from work until (month/date). Please forward your queries to (insert name) at (insert e-mail address).

Sincerely,

The Networking Message

In the event that you’re out of the office to attend a conference or a workshop or an international symposium, you can use the out of office message to reach out to your fellow attendees. This can be a great opportunity to establish contacts and engage with people outside of your geographical reach and comfort zone.

Hello,

I will be out of the office from (month/date) to (month/date), because I’ll be attending the Important International Symposium in (CITY). If you are a fellow attendee, please don’t hesitate to approach me. I will be wearing a red and white polka-dotted tie and a navy blue blazer.

You can also reach me on my personal phone at 123-456-700.

Sincerely,

CAUTION: Refrain from giving out your phone number if you are afraid that you may receive unwarranted calls.

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The Content Promotion Message

If you are a content creator, publisher, artist or blogger you can use the out of office message to promote your own brand. You can link to your personal blog, Instagram, Twitter or Snapchat to promote your content further. This way, you can gain subscribers or followers from possibly untapped domains while you’re out partying or taking a well-deserved break.

Hello True Believers,

I’m unreachable right now because I’m out in the world being awesome. I promise to get to your message as soon as I get back on (month/date). Why don’t you check out my blog/Instagram/Twitter while you wait? There’s a lot of cool stuff there that you might love.

Awesomely yours,

You can also try a more formal message if that suits your brand image.

Hey there,

I’m away from my desk at the moment and won’t be back until (month/date). I will read your e-mail diligently and reply as soon as I can. In the meantime, why don’t you check out some great articles from my website?

How to Build up a Successful Credit Rating

How to Increase Your Physical Stamina in 5 Days

You may find something in these links that may help you or answer your question.

Sincerely,

The Spontaneous and Funny Message

The best out of office message is a funny and clever one that conveys where you are and gives out a welcoming vibe to the receiver. You could try putting in a witty GIF or a meme if you like, or you could just exercise your dry wit.

Here’s a great example

Greetings Fellow Human,

I am currently in a galaxy far, far away, attending to important Imperial business. If you wish relay a message, please be patient as I am circumnavigating the spice Mines of Kessel. In case I don’t make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs and reach the office on (month/date), you can contact my good mate (insert name) at (e-mail).

Live Long and Prosper, 

The Maternity/Paternity Leave Message

You may be out of the office for a long stretch of time due to personal reasons such as maternity or paternity leave. It’s pertinent to describe that situation in your out of office message so that any queries or e-mails that are urgent get the attention they deserve from someone else. You should also specify the date after which you will be regularly available again.

Hi,

I’m currently on (paternity/maternity) leave at the moment and won’t be attending the office or taking any calls or reading any emails. My leave ends on (month/date), so if your query or request can wait until then, I would appreciate that very much. However, if your request is time-sensitive, please contact (insert name) at (e-mail) and he/she will assist you.

Thank you for understanding and have a good day.

Sincerely,

These are simply templates and suggestions, of course. You can craft out of office messages with other personal touches and oddities, if you so choose. You should simply keep in mind the nature of your business or profession, the length of your sabbatical or holiday, and a person that the receiver can contact instead of you.

Make sure the message is succinct and clear as well as inoffensive and matches the message you want to send out in terms of your brand. An out of office message is nothing, if not informative.

Follow these simple rules and you should be fine.

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