A good out-of-office message tells people you are away, when you will be back, and who to contact instead — in one short paragraph. The best OOO messages are specific enough to stop follow-ups but vague enough not to compromise privacy. Below are 30 templates covering every scenario, from standard holiday to extended medical leave.
Key Takeaways
- An OOO message needs three things: you are away, your return date, and a contact for urgent matters.
- Set realistic expectations — if you will check email sporadically, say so. If you will be completely offline, say that too.
- For medical or compassionate leave, keep the reason vague — “personal leave” or “family matter” is sufficient.
- Never include your personal phone number in an OOO unless your employer explicitly requires it.
- Set your OOO the evening before you leave — not on the morning of. People who send early morning emails will get your automatic reply.
- Different messages for internal vs external contacts — your team needs different information than a client or vendor.
Holiday / Annual Leave OOO Messages
1. Standard Annual Leave
Thank you for your email. I am on annual leave from [Start Date] to [End Date] with limited email access. I will respond to your message when I return on [Return Date].
If your matter is urgent, please contact [Name] at [email] instead.
Best regards,
[Your Name]2. Brief and Direct
I'm out of the office from [Start Date] to [End Date]. I will have limited access to email. I'll respond when I return on [Return Date].3. Fully Offline
Thank you for your message. I'm on leave from [Start Date] to [End Date] and will not have access to email during this time. I'll respond to all messages when I return on [Return Date].
For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].4. Short Trip (1-2 Days)
I'm out of the office today [Date] and will respond to your email on my return [Date/Time].5. Holiday with Company-Wide Closure
Our office is closed from [Start Date] to [End Date] for the [holiday name] period. I'll respond to your email when I return on [Return Date].
For urgent enquiries during this period, please contact [Name] at [email].Sick Leave OOO Messages
6. Short-Term Sick Leave
Thank you for your email. I am currently on sick leave. I will respond to your message when I return. If your matter is urgent, please contact [Name] at [email].7. Extended Sick Leave
Thank you for your email. I am currently on medical leave and will not have regular email access. I will respond when I return.
For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].
Best regards,
[Your Name]8. Mental Health Day (No Reason Given)
I'm out of the office today and will respond to your email when I return tomorrow.Parental Leave OOO Messages
9. Maternity Leave (Standard)
Thank you for your email. I am currently on maternity leave until [Return Date] and will have very limited email access.
For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email]. I look forward to connecting when I return.
Best regards,
[Your Name]10. Maternity Leave (Privacy-Focused)
Thank you for your email. I am currently on parental leave and will not have email access during this time. I'll respond when I return on [Return Date].
For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].11. Shared Parental Leave
Thank you for your email. I am on shared parental leave until [Return Date]. I will not have regular email access during this time.
Please contact [Name] at [email] for anything that requires immediate attention. I will respond to your message when I return.12. Paternity Leave (Short)
I'm on paternity leave until [Return Date] and will have limited email access. For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].Conference & Business Travel OOO Messages
13. Conference / Training
I'm attending [Conference Name] from [Start Date] to [End Date] and will have limited email access. I'll respond to messages when I return.
For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].14. Business Travel (Timezone-Aware)
I'm travelling for business this week with limited email access. I'll respond to your message as soon as I can, but please expect delays if you are in a different time zone.
For urgent matters, contact [Name] at [email].Public Holiday OOO Messages
15. Single Public Holiday
Our office is closed on [Date] for [Holiday Name]. I'll respond to your email when I return on [Next Working Day].16. Extended Public Holiday Period (Christmas/New Year)
Our office is closed from [Start Date] to [End Date] for the [holiday] period. I will have limited email access and will respond to your message when I return.
Wishing you a wonderful [holiday] season.
Best regards,
[Your Name]17. Regional Public Holiday
Our [City/Region] office is closed on [Date] for [Holiday Name]. I'll respond to your email when I return on [Next Working Day]. If your matter is urgent, please contact [Name] at [email].Part-Time & Flexible Work OOO Messages
18. Regular Day Off (Part-Time)
Thank you for your email. I work part-time and am out of the office on [Day of Week]. I'll respond to your message when I am next in the office on [Day].
If your matter is urgent, please contact [Name] at [email].19. Compressed Week (4-Day Week)
I work a compressed week and am out of the office on Fridays. I'll respond to your email when I return on Monday.20. Flexitime — Leaving Early
I've left for the day. I'll respond to your email [tomorrow morning / on my next working day].Return-to-Work & Transition OOO Messages
21. Returning From Leave (Temporary OOO for Catch-Up)
I've returned from leave and am catching up on emails. I'll respond to your message as soon as possible. If your matter is urgent, please resend or contact [Name] at [email].22. Handover in Progress
I'm currently handing over my responsibilities to [Name] and will have limited availability. Please contact [Name] at [email] for all enquiries until [Date].Medical Appointment OOO Messages
23. Medical Appointment (Half Day)
I have a medical appointment and will be out of the office on [Date/Time]. I'll respond to your email when I return.
For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].24. Surgery Recovery
Thank you for your email. I am recovering from a medical procedure and will be out of the office until [Return Date]. I'll respond to your message when I return.
For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].Compassionate & Bereavement Leave OOO Messages
25. Compassionate Leave (Vague)
Thank you for your email. I'm currently on compassionate leave and will not have regular email access. I'll respond when I return.
For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].26. Bereavement Leave (Privacy-Conscious)
Thank you for your message. I'm out of the office on personal leave and will respond when I return on [Date]. For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].Unpaid Leave OOO Messages
27. Sabbatical or Extended Unpaid Leave
Thank you for your email. I am on extended leave until [Return Date] and will not have email access during this time. I'll respond to all messages when I return.
For urgent matters, please direct your enquiry to [Name] at [email].28. Career Break
I am currently on a career break until [Return Date]. I will not have access to email and will respond when I return. For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email].Specific Roles & Situations
29. Manager or Team Lead
I'm out of the office from [Start Date] to [End Date]. During my absence, [Name] will be covering team matters and can be reached at [email]. I'll respond to all other messages when I return.30. Client-Facing Role
Thank you for reaching out. I'm away from the office from [Start Date] to [End Date]. For client enquiries during this period, please contact [Name] at [email], who will be happy to assist.
I'll respond to your message on my return.When to Set Your OOO Message
| Scenario | When to Enable | When to Disable |
|---|---|---|
| Annual holiday | Evening before departure | Morning of return |
| Sick leave | On the day you call in sick | On your first day back |
| Conference / training | Day before the event | Day after the event ends |
| Public holiday | End of day before | Morning after the holiday |
| Part-time day off | At end of previous working day | At start of next working day |
| Maternity / extended leave | On your last working day | On your first day back |
| Medical appointment | 1 hour before appointment | When you return |
OOO Etiquette Rules
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| No personal phone numbers | OOO messages are forwarded — keep your personal number private |
| No detailed reasons for absence | “Annual leave” is better than “Going to Ibiza with the family” |
| Set a realistic response time | “I’ll respond within 24 hours” only if you actually will |
| Use different OOOs for internal/external | Internal can include handover details; external should not |
| Review your OOO before leaving | Check the return date is correct, the contact name is current |
| Include your manager’s contact for escalation | For roles where quick decisions may be needed |
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I include my manager’s email in my OOO?
Only if your manager is the appropriate contact for the types of emails you typically receive. If you receive mainly operational queries, include a colleague who can handle them. If you are in a client-facing role, include the relevant client contact.
Should I mention why I am away?
Only if it helps the reader. Annual leave OOO messages often don’t need a reason. Medical leave OOOs should be vague for privacy. Conference OOOs often state the event so the reader knows you are unavailable but professionally engaged.
Do I need a separate OOO for internal and external?
It depends on your role. If you work with both internal colleagues and external clients, two OOOs — one for internal (with handover details), one for external (with client contact) — is a good practice.
Should I set an OOO for a single day off?
Yes. Even a one-day absence warrants a brief OOO. It sets expectations for anyone who emails you and prevents them from wondering why you have not responded.
What if I am completely unavailable but have no one to cover?
Set an OOO that says you will respond when you return and apologise for any delays. This is better than leaving senders with no information about your availability.
Related Reading
- Sick Leave Email to Your Boss: 10 Copy-Paste Examples
- Leave Application Email for Office: Formats and Examples
- Leave Handover Checklist
- Sick Leave Out-of-Office Messages
- Maternity Leave Out-of-Office Messages
Set and Forget Your OOO Messages
Leave Balance sends automatic OOO reminders when employees have approved leave coming up, and managers can see who has an OOO set and who doesn’t — so nothing slips through the cracks.
You can take advantage of the free 14 days trial and explore Leave Balance.