Out of Office Message: 15 Examples You Can Copy

Writing a professional out of office message feels simple until you are staring at a blank box five minutes before leaving for the airport. Get it wrong and you look unprofessional; get it right and colleagues, clients, and recruiters know exactly what to expect. This post gives you a complete checklist and 15 copy-ready templates for every common situation, with notes on tone for UK and international audiences.

What Every Out of Office Message Must Include

A good OOO message answers three questions the sender will immediately ask: Are you away? When are you back? Who can help me now?

Every out of office email should contain these core elements:

• Dates of absence: the first day you are away and the last.
• Return date: the specific day you will be back and reading emails.
• Alternative contact: a name, role, and email address for urgent queries.
• Brief reason (optional): "annual leave", "on sick leave" or "on parental leave" is enough. You do not need to explain further.

Keep the total message under 100 words for external contacts and under 60 words for internal ones. Shorter is better; the reader wants the return date, not a paragraph.

Internal vs External Replies

Many email platforms, including Microsoft Outlook and Google Workspace, let you set separate messages for people inside your organisation and those outside it.

• Internal reply: slightly more informal; you can share your mobile number if appropriate.
• External reply: professional tone only; never share personal contact details or details about upcoming travel that could present a security risk.

Phrases to Avoid in an Out of Office Email

Before the templates, here is what to leave out.

• "I will have limited access to email." Most people will not believe it. State your return date and let them decide how long to wait.
• "Please note that…" Unnecessary padding. Start with the information itself.
• "Do not hesitate to contact…" Overused and slightly awkward. Use "please contact" or "for urgent matters, reach" instead.
• "I am currently out of office." The subject alone makes this clear. Get straight to the return date.
• Vague return dates: "I will be back soon" is unhelpful. Always give a specific date.

For broader guidance on professional correspondence, the English Email Writing for Business: The Complete Guide covers structure, tone, and common errors across all types of work email.

15 Out of Office Message Examples

The templates below are organised by situation. Dates are shown as placeholders in square brackets. Choose one, edit it, and copy it directly into your email system.

Holiday and Annual Leave

1. Short formal version

Thank you for your email. I am on annual leave from [date] to [date] and will return on [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email].

2. Friendly version

Thanks for getting in touch. I'm on holiday until [date] and will reply when I'm back on [date]. If you need help sooner, [name] ([email]) will be happy to assist.

3. Extended absence, formal

Thank you for your message. I am away from the office from [date] until [date]. I will respond to all emails from [date] onwards. For anything urgent, please contact [name] at [email] or call [phone number].

4. Short notice, informal

Hi, I'm out of the office today and tomorrow. Back on [date]. For anything urgent, drop a message to [name] at [email].

5. Long holiday, external contacts

Thank you for contacting [your name]. I am currently on leave until [date] and will have no access to email during this time. I will reply to your message on my return. For immediate assistance, please contact [team name] at [email].

Sick Leave

6. Brief and professional

Thank you for your email. I am currently on sick leave and expect to return on [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email].

7. Open-ended sick leave (no set return date)

Thank you for getting in touch. I am on sick leave and my return date is not yet confirmed. Please contact [name] at [email] for any urgent queries. I will respond to all other emails as soon as I am able.

Parental Leave

8. Formal parental leave

Thank you for your email. I am on parental leave from [date] and plan to return on [date]. During this period, please contact [name] at [email] who is covering my responsibilities.

9. Friendly parental leave with handover note

Hi, thanks for your message. I'm currently on parental leave until [date]. [Name] ([email]) is my cover and will be able to help you in the meantime. I look forward to catching up when I'm back.

Public Holidays and Office Closures

10. Single public holiday

Thank you for your email. Our office is closed today for [public holiday]. We will reopen on [date]. I will reply to your message then.

11. Extended office closure (e.g. over a holiday period)

Thank you for contacting us. Our office is closed from [date] to [date] for the [holiday period]. We will respond to all messages from [date]. For urgent support, please visit [website or support page].

Leaving a Job

12. Formal departure message

Thank you for your email. I have left [company name] as of [date]. For enquiries previously handled by me, please contact [name] at [email] or [phone].

13. Friendly farewell version

Hi, thanks for getting in touch. I am no longer with [company name]. Going forward, [name] ([email]) will be your point of contact. I wish you all the best.

Conference, Training or Business Travel

14. At a conference or event

Thank you for your email. I am attending [event name / conference] from [date] to [date] and may be slow to respond. I will reply to all messages by [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email].

15. Business travel, short trip

Thanks for your message. I'm travelling for work until [date] and have limited time to check emails. I'll be back at my desk on [date] and will reply then.

Tone Notes for UK and International Readers

British professional culture tends toward understatement. A UK out of office message is typically short and factual, and anything that sounds excited about holiday ("So thrilled to be off!") will read as odd. A US audience tolerates a warmer register, but brief still wins. When writing for a mixed international audience, stick to neutral formal English. Idioms like "I'm out of the loop" translate poorly, and regional expressions can confuse non-native readers who may take them literally.

Read How to Write a Formal Email in English for a practical look at how business email language shifts across cultures.

How to Set Up Your Out of Office Reply

The steps below work for most major email clients.

1. Open your email settings. Look for "Automatic Replies", "Vacation Responder" or "Out of Office".
2. Set your start and end dates. This prevents you from forgetting to switch the reply off.
3. Write separate messages for internal and external contacts if the platform allows it.
4. Test it. Send yourself a test email from a personal account to check the formatting looks correct.
5. Set up a delegate or shared inbox so the alternative contact you mention can access relevant emails during your absence.

Strengthening Your Professional English

Clear, accurate English makes every professional message, including your out of office email, easier to read and more credible. If you work in English as a second language and want to know your current level, take the International English Test level test; it takes about 30 minutes.

If you are building a CV or job application, an English certificate for jobs gives hiring managers a concrete, verifiable record of your writing ability. That matters most for roles where written communication is assessed at interview or forms part of the job description.

You can also explore what each CEFR level means for workplace writing with the complete English levels guide, which outlines the skills expected at every stage from A1 to C2.

Conclusion

Out of office messages are one of those small professional details that draw attention only when they go wrong: a vague return date, a missing contact, or a tone that does not fit the relationship. The 15 templates above cover every common situation. Pick the one that fits, fill in the bracketed fields, and you are done. For the wider language of professional collaboration, the English for Business Meetings: Phrases That Work guide is a practical next step.

Take the English level test in about 30 minutes and get your CEFR score today.