You’ve taken some time off work – it could be for a vacation or a medical emergency. No matter what the reason, it is highly imperative to keep your colleagues, or clients, or people within your workspace, aware of the fact that you will not be available for a specific period of time. You can get into trouble if you do not give a prompt response to work emails, and this is where an out of office message comes into the picture. An out of office message is an automatic email response, which is generated each time someone sends you an email. You can add the details about your absence, as well as your availability, as a part of an out of the office message.
Here's what this article will cover:
- Out of Office Professional Messages with Examples
- Importance Of Out Of Office Messages
- Purpose of Autoresponder Email Messages
- When Autoresponder Email Messages Are Required?
- How to Craft an Effective Out-Of-Office Message
- Out of Office Message Examples
- Tips To Write Out Of Office Messages
Out of Office Professional Messages with Examples
If you know in advance that you will not be available for work, or to respond to work emails, then an out of office email ID is a must. With the help of a carefully crafted out of office message, people who have reached out to you will know that you are currently unavailable to respond, and they will have a fair idea as to how long it will take before you will be back to work again.
In almost every organization, your colleagues, employers, or even your clients, will expect a response if they have tried to contact you. This is particularly the case if you belong to services like marketing, customer service, salesforce, and other similar professions. With the help of an out of office message, you can send an automatic reply to any email that you have received. Since you are sending a similar automated, default message to all of your emails, it is important to make sure that your message is relevant, concise, to the point, and professional. It has to tell the person involved that you are currently unavailable, but that you will be back at a particular date, within the near future, to handle the current situation. It doesn’t matter if you have gone for a couple of days, or even if you have taken a sabbatical of a few weeks – an out of office message has to have a professional structure that provides the necessary information.
Importance of out of office messages
A professional out of office message is important for various reasons. One of the first reasons, as mentioned above, is to keep your co-workers, managers, and clients, in the loop about your whereabouts. At the end of the day, you are a part of a professional system, and within the set number of work hours, you are obligated to notify people of what you are doing. So, if you are unable to work for a personal reason such as a vacation, medical emergency, or family function, it is professional courtesy to tell people that you will not be available. This way, you will not be leaving your co-workers, managers, or clients wondering why you are absent. It will also help them co-ordinate any work that has to be taken care of, in your absence.
Another important reason why an out of office message is important is if you have an away message at place, your colleagues will not have to take the unnecessary burden of making explanations for you.
Additionally, an out of the office message will help define your personality as someone who is responsible, as opposed to someone who just takes off for a period of time, without giving any explanation. This way, the people who are associated with you professionally, will know that you are unavailable for a reason, and that you will be back to business in a short time.
Purpose of AUTORESPONDER EMAIL MESSAGES
An autoresponder email message is a message that has been previously drafted, which will be sent automatically to anyone who has sent you recent messages. For example, if a client sends you a message enquiring about the progress of a particular project, then with the help of an out of office message or an autoresponder email message, you will be able to able to notify them of your absence. The minute you get an email from the client, an email or reply from your end will be generated automatically. The same goes for any other message or email that you receive from a co-worker or manager as well.
When AUTORESPONDER EMAIL MESSAGES are required?
An autoresponder email message is required particularly when or if you are unavailable at the office, or for office related work. This could be due to various reasons. You are probably unavailable at work because you have taken a much-needed vacation. Or chances are that you have to take a prolonged leave of absence because you have a family function or celebration. Another reason for your unavailability could be in case an unforeseen medical emergency has come up, which requires your full and complete attention. Whatever be the reason, if you are unavailable at work, and responding to an email is not within your ability at a given time, then an autoresponder email message is required.
How to Craft an Effective Out-of-Office Message
If you’re looking for tips on how to craft an effective out of office message, then look no further! It is important to have a good out of office message, as this message will do the talking in your absence. There are a few things that you need to keep in mind while drafting your holiday out of office message.
Let’s first talk about the few elements that you surely have to include in your away message:
- Make sure you put down the dates of your unavailability: You need to tell people who have reached out to you that you won’t be available for a specific time period. This way, they will know when to expect you back for work. It will also help the co-ordinate the particular task or work in your absence.
- Why you have taken time off: It is also important to tell people the nature of your absence. Is it a vacation, a medical emergency, or a sabbatical? If you are uncomfortable going into details, then you can simply notify people that it is for personal reasons that you will be unavailable – this should suffice as well.
- Who can cover for you: If you have made some sort of arrangement before your leave of absence and asked for a co-worker or subordinate to take charge in your absence, then make sure that the out of office message includes this piece of information. This way, a client, co-worker, or manager, will know who has to be contacted in your absence, and work will still go on and not be stalled just because you are unavailable.
We’ve covered the important points that should be included in your out of office email. Now, let’s deep dive into some of the things that have to be avoided in a professional out of office message.
- Avoid going into details: You have taken a leave of absence, and you have good reason for that. It is important for you to notify your co-workers or clients who have reached out to you in your absence, but you do not have to go into all the details regarding the nature of your absence. For instance, if you are taking a prolonged leave due to health reasons, just mention that it is a medical emergency. You do not have to go into details about the nature of your sickness and any other details.
- Not the best place to be humorous: While everyone loves a good joke, an out of office message is not the best place to showcase your sense of humour. In some cases, people who have reached out to you might find it difficult to move work forward in your absence – give them a good reason about your unavailability, and they will understand. But cracking a joke might do more harm than good.
- Expecting a co-worker to do your job: You can refer a colleague as a point of contact in your absence, but make sure that you don’t expect the said colleague to do all of your work instead of you. They themselves have tasks to complete, so giving them your job isn’t the right thing to do.
- Promising a response as soon as you’re back: While it is important to keep people in the loop about your return, you do not have to promise a response as soon as you are back. You never know how many emails you have to respond to, and you might have to respond according to how you’ve prioritized it.
- Avoid grammatical or typing errors: No email, be it an out of office email, or a regular email, should have any kind of typing errors. This goes without saying and is an important rule that has to be followed at all times.
Out of office message examples
We’ve listed a few out of office emails templates that you can refer to for your requirements:
Hello,
I am currently out of the office due to personal reasons but will be available after the 22nd of December. In the meanwhile, you can reach out to the communications executive, in case of immediate assistance. Thank you for reaching out to me.
Regards,
<your name=""></your>
Greetings everyone!
Thanks for your email. I am currently out of office as I am celebrating my brother’s wedding. I won’t be in a position to respond to your email as of now, but rest assured that I will be back by the 25th of November, and will respond to every message on my return. If you happen to need any help on priority, feel free to reach out to my assistant, Ms. <name>, at <email id="">. </email></name>
Have a great day!
Regards
<your name=""></your>
Hi Team!
This is to inform you that I am currently out of office till the 15th of October. However, in case you require access to some of the internal files, I’ve placed copies of the same on my drive. Click here to access it (provide link). In case you require anything else, reach out to <name>. </name>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Hi there!
I am currently away on vacation, until 15th December. During this time, I will be unavailable to respond to mails. Do feel free to contact my assistant, <name>, at <email id="">, for anything urgent. </email></name>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Hello,
Thanks for reaching out. I am currently attending the annual medical conference, due to which I will not be able to respond to emails. I will be back in office by the 17th of November. In case of an emergency, kindly contact <provide an="" email="" id="">. </provide>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Hello,
Kindly note that I will not be at my desk from 11 AM to 2 PM, today, the 2nd of May, since I have an appointment with my doctor. I will not be available to respond to emails, but you can drop a text at <contact>, in case of an emergency. </contact>
Thank you.
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Good evening,
This is to inform you that I have no access to my emails, therefore, won’t be in a position to respond to you. I am of office, and will be back on May 20th. You can contact <name>, at <email id=""> in my absence. </email></name>
Regards,
<your name=""></your>
- Out of office but checking emails
Hello,
Thanks for your mail. Please note that I am currently out of office. I am conducting a three-day workshop at <the location="">, due to which I will be unavailable to respond to your emails. However, I do have access to my mails and will be checking them. Do flag any message that is a priority, as important, and I will do the needful. </the>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Greetings!
Our office is currently closed for Christmas. We open on December 27th, and I will respond to your emails when I am back at office. In case of any emergency, feel free to drop a text on my personal number.
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
- Maternity or paternity leave
Hello,
Please note that I will be unavailable from March 20th to June 20th, as I am away on maternity leave. During this period, my co-worker <name> will be handling the account. Contact him at <contact details="">. </contact></name>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Hello,
I am currently away from work as I have taken a medical leave from the 15th to 23rd November. I will be checking my mails periodically, however, kindly reach out to my assistant, <name>, at <email id="">, for any emergencies.</email></name>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Hello,
I am currently out of office until the 29th of July. Feel free to reach out to my assistant at <email id=""> in case of emergencies. In the meanwhile, I’m glad to announce the launch of my new eBook. Feel free to get your copy here <link>. </email>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Hello,
Thanks for your message. I am out of office but will be back on June 4th. I have limited access to mails, so reach out to my assistant <email> for any emergency. </email>
Having said that, did you know that there is a virtual webinar about digital marketing that you can be a part of? Some of the top digital marketers will give their take on the best practices of digital marketing. In case it interests you, click here!
Regards,
<your name=""></your>
Hello!
Thank you for your email. I’m out of office until November 26th and will respond to your mail on my return. In the meanwhile, make sure you follow our social media handles to keep up to date on all the exciting activities happening at work this week! For any work-related emergencies, drop a text to my personal number.
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Hello,
Kindly note that I will be out of office till 3rd June, and will be unable to respond to your mails. For auditing assistance, kindly contact <name email="">. For recruitment assistance, feel free to reach out to the HR desk at <email>. For any other help, contact my assistant at <email>.</email></email></name>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
- Outlook out of office message
Hello,
Thank you for your email. I am currently out of office for personal reasons and will be back on 14th July. I will respond to your message on my return. Feel free to contact the help desk at <email> in my absence, for any emergency. </email>
Regards,
<your name=""> </your>
Tips to write Out of office messages
To summarize, here are a few tips to write effective out of office messages:
- Check the company policy on out of office mails and have it approved by your supervisor.
- Do not reveal too much information, as the mail may be seen by spammers and strangers who mail you.
- Check for spelling, grammar and typos before sending.
- Make sure you keep your tone formal or informal, depending on your audience.
Conclusion
Go ahead and use these carefully crafted templates for you out of office message before you take a leave of absence!
