Out of Office Message Examples That Work

Vacation Out of Office Examples

The most common reason for setting an out of office message. Keep vacation OOO messages professional but warm. You do not need to mention that you are on vacation — "out of the office" is sufficient.

Standard Vacation Message

Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office on vacation and will return on [date]. I will have limited access to email during this time. For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email]. I will respond to your message as soon as possible upon my return.

Short Vacation (1-3 Days)

Hi, I am out of the office today and will be back on [date]. I will respond to your email when I return. For anything urgent, please reach out to [Name] at [email].

Extended Vacation (1-2 Weeks)

Thank you for reaching out. I am away from [start date] through [end date] with limited email access. For time-sensitive matters, please contact [Name] at [email] who will be happy to assist you. I will respond to all other emails upon my return on [date].

Business Travel Examples

Business travel OOO messages should indicate limited availability rather than complete absence, since you may be checking email intermittently.

Conference Attendance

I am currently attending [conference name] from [dates] and may be slower than usual in responding to emails. For urgent requests, please contact [Name] at [email]. I will follow up on all messages by [return date].

Client Visit or Site Travel

Thank you for your email. I am traveling for client meetings this week and will have intermittent email access. I will respond as soon as I can. For immediate assistance, please reach out to [Name] at [email].

Parental Leave Examples

Parental leave requires a different approach — longer duration and clear delegation of responsibilities. See our full maternity leave OOO guide for more detailed templates and advice.

Maternity or Paternity Leave

Thank you for your message. I am currently on parental leave and will return on [date]. During my absence, please contact [Name] at [email] for [specific area] or [Name] at [email] for [other area]. They will be happy to help you.

Privacy-Focused Extended Leave

Thank you for reaching out. I am on leave until [approximate date]. For assistance during this time, please contact [Name] at [email]. They are fully briefed on all ongoing projects and can help with any questions. I will respond to your message when I return.

Internal Team Messages

When your email platform supports separate internal messages — like Microsoft Outlook — you can be more specific and casual with colleagues.

Internal Team Message

Hey team — I am OOO from [dates]. [Name] is covering my projects while I am away. For the [project name], reach out to [Name]. For [other project], contact [Name]. I will catch up on everything when I am back on [date]. Thanks!

Internal Manager Message

I am out of the office until [date]. For team-related questions, please contact [Name] who is acting as point of contact in my absence. For approvals or escalations, reach out to [Name]. I will be checking email sporadically but responses may be delayed.

Holiday Season Messages

Year-End Holiday

Happy holidays! I am out of the office for the holiday break and will return on [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email]. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season. I will respond to your email in the new year.

Company-Wide Shutdown

Thank you for your email. Our office is closed for the holidays from [dates]. We will reopen on [date]. For emergencies, please contact [emergency contact information]. We look forward to connecting with you in the new year.

Medical Leave Messages

Short Medical Absence

Thank you for your message. I am currently away from the office and will return on [date]. For time-sensitive matters, please contact [Name] at [email]. I appreciate your patience and will respond when I return.

Notice that medical leave messages do not need to mention the reason. "Away from the office" is perfectly appropriate and protects your privacy. You never owe anyone an explanation for medical leave.

Creative and Casual Examples

For startup cultures and internal messages where a lighter tone is appropriate:

Fun but Informative

Hey there! I am currently offline recharging my batteries and will be back on [date]. Need something ASAP? Ping [Name] at [email] — they have got you covered. Otherwise, I will tackle your email when I return.

Minimalist

OOO until [date]. Urgent: [Name] at [email]. Back soon.

Tips for Customizing These Templates

Use these examples as starting points and customize them based on your role, industry, and company culture. Here are the key principles from our complete out of office guide:

• Always include a return date — this is the single most important piece of information in any OOO message
• Name a specific backup person with their full email address for urgent matters
• Keep it under five sentences — brevity is professional and respectful of people's time
• Match your company culture — formal language for law firms and finance, casual for startups and creative agencies
• Proofread before activating — your OOO message represents you to every person who emails you

Setting Up Your OOO Message

Once you have chosen and customized your template, set it up on your email platform. We have detailed step-by-step guides for every major platform:

• How to set out of office in Outlook — desktop and web versions
• Outlook mobile app OOO setup — iPhone and Android
• Gmail vacation responder setup — personal and Google Workspace
• Microsoft Teams OOO status — status messages and sync

For tips on writing your own unique message from scratch, see our out of office email writing guide. Planning a long absence? Check our maternity leave OOO templates.

Want your inbox sorted and organized while you are away? AI email tools like Monssot handle the sorting and prioritization so you return to a clean inbox instead of overwhelming unread counts. Learn about email management and writing emails faster.

Explore all guides in this series: out of office guide, Outlook OOO setup, Outlook app OOO, Gmail OOO setup, OOO email writing, Teams OOO setup, maternity leave OOO.