Writing an Effective Out Of Office Message
Name a better feeling than turning on your Out Of Office email responder and closing your computer for the weekend/week/time off.
I love a good Out Of Office message because it’s a chance to set boundaries, communicate your humanity, and automate response time expectations. All while taking time away from the office knowing that people are not expecting you to respond to emails. Bliss!
Let’s dive into a refresher on what an effective OOO message is and why it’s so important in the modern workplace.
What is an out of office message? The infamous OOO - out of office - message is a modern way of telling people “I am not responding to emails because I am not in the office”. It’s a way to tell people you are human and that yes, you actually have a life outside of work. And depending on your role and industry, I encourage you (if you feel comfortable doing so) to curate descriptive out of office messages. Tell them why you’re out of the office! Relate to them. Remind them that yes, people do in fact have lives outside the computer screen.
When should it be used? The ENTIRE time you’re not in the office. Don’t sneak an email response just because someone writes “urgent” in the subject line. If you don’t respect your own time off, how do you expect someone else to respect it too? (I know this is hard - I am working on this as well).
Why is an OOO important? Because it’s a boundary you have communicated and it is important to honor people’s time outside the office.
How to write an effective one? Be relatable, set expectations, and provide another contact to reach out to as a courtesy of any urgent requests.
And if you need help creating an effective – yet memorable – out of office message, below are some templates you can copy, paste, and publish for your own OOO email responder.
An OOO message for when you want to keep it short, sweet, and effective.
“I am out of the office and will be returning on Tuesday, December 19th. If this is an immediate need, please reach out to xyz@company.com. Thanks for giving me the time to spend away from work this weekend”
An OOO message for when you want to be a little creative -
“You caught me out of the office taking advantage of PTO. A benefit that I am grateful to take advantage of. Flying to Florida to surprise my mother for her birthday. Grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate her this way. This means I’ll be slow to respond to any emails or slacks. If nothing is pressing, I’ll get to it on when I am back on December 19th. If it is urgent, please reach out to xyz@company.com. Thank you and I look forward to responding when I am back”
My personal OOO template -
Hey there! I’m out of the office from xx date to xx date. for a long weekend taking full advantage of the PTO I am afforded. I’ll be chasing my toddler around and hopefully sneaking in some zzz’s while baby sleeps. Wish me luck! I’ll be back on xx day. If you need anything while I am out, please reach out to xx@company.com. Chat soon!”
Remember, make it your own! Use your own communication style. Some people don’t want to share details of their personal life in an email, and that’s ok.
The important aspects of an out of office message include:
The dates you will be out of the office
The date in which you will return and be responding to emails
Another contact to reach out to (if urgent or applicable)
A way to humanize your message
Remember to set your boundaries around holiday time off, make sure to have an Out Of Office message automated while you are away from work, and enjoy your time off!
