When it comes to out of office messages, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, be sure to set your message a few days in advance so you don’t forget. Secondly, be clear and concise in your message. Lastly, don’t forget to include a way for people to reach you in case of an emergency.
With these tips in mind, crafting the perfect out of office message for your holiday break will be a breeze. So sit back, relax, and enjoy your time off knowing that your out of office message has you covered.
What are holiday out-of-office messages?
Holiday out-of-office replies are pre-written emails that let people know you’re unable to respond because you’re on vacation during a holiday. These messages typically include:
An out-of-office message is regarded as a professional way to let others know that you will be away from the office. Your email provider will allow you to configure this automated response.
Examples of out-of-office messages for holidays
Before a holiday, there are several ways to write an out-of-office message. You can create a professional message or adopt a humorous, creative strategy depending on your company culture or your potential audience. Out-of-office messages typically fall under the following categories:
Business professional messages
Business-related messages that show professionalism are those that contain only a few details about your vacation. If you want to write a direct and formal out-of-office email, consider these examples of business-professional messages:
Hello,
Thank you for your email. Unfortunately, I am out of the office until Jan. 3. Send any urgent messages to Casey Myers, our project manager, at cmyers@email. com. I appreciate your patience and will make an effort to reply to your email by January. 10.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday,
Sincerely,
Jordan Smith
Quality Specialist
Greetings,
I’m not in the office right now because of the upcoming holiday. I will be back to work on Dec. 2. Alex Maeve, my colleague, can receive any urgent emails at amaeve@email. com. I appreciate your understanding and I hope to talk to you more when I get back.
Sincerely,
Jesse Martin
Hello,
Please accept my sincere apologies as I am currently on vacation for the long weekend. You can expect a reply from me on Jan. 14 at the earliest. If you do not hear back from me by Jan. Please send a follow-up email to 20, and I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.
Sincerely,
Avery Bertrum
Manager of Public Health
Greetings,
I’m away for the week, so I can’t respond to your email right now. I will return to the office on Feb. 19 and I’ll try to respond to you within the following work week. If your email contains a time-sensitive message, kindly forward it to Monica Raymond, my supervisor, at mraymond@email. com. I appreciate your patience, and I hope to speak with you soon.
All the best,
Bailey MacDuff
Accountant
Professional and friendly messages
Professional and friendly messages combine a certain amount of professionalism with more informal language. Here are some examples of friendly, yet professional messages:
Hi,
I apologize for missing you, but I will not be back in the office until July 7 Please feel free to forward your email to csonatara@email because one of my coworkers has kindly agreed to respond to any urgent issues on my behalf. com if it contains time-sensitive information. If not, you can anticipate hearing from me by July 15th. Thank you for your understanding.
Have a great holiday weekend,
Best,
Sam Levenson
Hi there!
Thank you for your email. I’m not in the office right now because of the upcoming holiday. I appreciate your patience in advance and look forward to speaking with you when I get back in Jan. 7.
Sincerely,
Erin Caulfield
Account Manager
Hi,
It’s wonderful to hear from you, as I’ll be away for the next week to enjoy the holidays. I return to the office on Dec. 29 and I’ll try to reply to your email within the following seven business days.
Thank you for your patience,
Kendall Michaels
Internal Sales Representative
Hello,
I hope this email finds you well. I will be taking the next two weeks (June 4–18) off from work for a vacation. In the meantime, you can contact Sam Rush at srush@email. He will do his best to respond to you by the end of the business day if you contact him at.
I look forward to contacting you once I return,
Sincerely,
Charlie Stewart
Director of Financial Consulting
Festive messages
You can use festive out-of-office holiday messages as a creative way to customize your automated email message for a particular holiday. If you want to send your recipients a festive message to make them smile, consider the following:
Seasons greetings!
It’s that time of year again, when everyone is spending time with their loved ones and the office is brimming with holiday cheer. I am one of those people, so I am unable to respond to your email at this time. I appreciate your patience in advance and I will get back to you as soon as I can via email.
I wish you a joyous holiday and prosperous new year.
Jamie Latson
Marketing Specialist
Hello,
I’m not at my desk right now because it is the most wonderful time of the year; instead, I’m wrapping presents and making sugar cookies at home. When I return to work after New Year’s Day, I’ll make sure to respond to your email.
Happy holidays!
Cameron Wallace
Customer Service Manager
Happy holidays!
I and the rest of the office are currently getting in the holiday spirit. When I return to work in December, I’ll make sure to answer your email. 28. I appreciate your patience and wish you and your family a happy holiday.
All the best,
Lennox Haven
Marketing Director
Greetings from the North Pole!
Even though I’m not at the North Pole, I find myself wrapping gifts, sipping hot cocoa, and listening to holiday music just like the elves do. Therefore, until after December, I won’t be able to respond to your email. 27. I appreciate your patience and wish you a happy holiday.
Best,
Drew Tangier
Department Buyer
Seasons greetings!
I’m probably in the middle of a tree farm right now, getting covered in tree sap, so if I tried to reply to your email, my hands would get stuck to my keyboard. When I return to work, I’ll do my best to promptly respond to your email.
Thank you,
Andy Baker
Funny messages
You can customize your email to send recipients a humorous out-of-office message while you’re on vacation, similar to festive out-of-office messages. Here are some examples of funny email messages:
Hello there,
I am currently squished between two in-laws who are watching game shows at 2:00 p.m., so if you are reading this, that means you are here. m. on a Thursday. I can’t reply to your email right now because I wouldn’t dare disturb them. I appreciate your patience in advance and promise to get back to you as soon as I can via email.
Happy holidays,
Peyton Saunders
Director of Sales
Why hello there,
I’m not in the office right now, as you may have guessed. Instead, I’m taking a road trip across the American continent to visit my family for the holidays. They’ll undoubtedly question me in a very private and uncomfortable way about my life decisions and why I consider my Pomeranian to be my child. You’ll see why I won’t be able to reply to your email for the next two weeks.
Ill respond to you as soon as I can,
Thank you,
Kennedy Dowling
Creative Projects Supervisor
Greetings,
Do you secretly dislike eggnog? So do I. Over the holidays, I make every effort to avoid it. The same logic applies to work emails. I’ve discovered that the fewer emails related to work I read and respond to during my free time, the happier the holiday season is. I’ll be avoiding my emails just like I would great aunt Mira’s five-hour-old eggnog on the dining room table. I look forward to reading your email after Jan. 2.
Do not drink the eggnog,
Sincerely,
Presley Hayward
Aloha from Hawaii!
Just kidding, Im not in Hawaii. That would be awesome, though, wouldn’t it? Instead, I’m taking a tranquil vacation in my living room. Due to my absence from the office at the moment, I am unable to respond to your email. Im sorry. After December, I’ll do my best to respond to your email. 27. Thank you for understanding.
I hope you get to go to Hawaii at least,
Rowan Lindsey
Event Coordinator
No contact messages
No-contact messages explicitly state to the recipient that you won’t respond to their message—no matter how urgent—until you return to the office. As long as you make it clear that you won’t be able to check your email at all while on vacation, you can keep these out-of-office emails formal or more creative. Here are some considerate ways to let someone know that you won’t be able to respond until a certain date:
Hello,
I hope this email finds you well. Due to my current holiday travels and lack of internet access, I won’t be able to read or respond to your email until after March 23. I appreciate your patience and will get in touch with you as soon as I can.
Best,
Parker Clawson
Hi,
I am out of the office from now until Jan. 18. I won’t be able to respond to work emails while I’m on vacation, so please bear with me. Please email our wonderful marketing coordinator Grey Mitchel at gmitchel@email if you have an urgent message. com. I’ll try to respond to your email when I get back, hopefully within the next seven working days.
Thank you,
Alex Straton
Marketing Campaign Consultant
Greetings,
I’m currently off work, spending time with my family during the holiday season. I won’t be responding to any emails from December so I can return to work rested. 14 to Dec. 28. I appreciate your patience and will respond to your email as soon as I can.
All the best,
Sawyer Redding
Graphic Design Specialist
Happy Holidays,
I hope this email finds you well. I’m using the holidays to spend some much-needed quality time with my family and friends. I won’t be able to respond to any emails from the office until after January. 4. Our production manager, Brennan Taylor, can be reached via email at btaylor@email if you have a pressing message. com.
Thank you,
Logan Bar
Production Specialist
Some contact (if urgent) messages
Write an out-of-office message informing the reader that you will be available for contact if you know you can respond to urgent emails while you are on vacation. However, be sure to specify that only urgent emails will receive a response and that other requests should be submitted when you return to the office. Here are a few illustrations of this kind of out-of-office email so you can create clear emailing policies and enjoy your vacation:
Hi there,
Thank you for your email. I am currently away for the holiday season visiting family. Please use the subject line “URGENT” if your message contains time-sensitive information, and I will do my best to respond to you during regular business hours. Otherwise, I look forward to reading your email on Dec. 27.
Have a wonderful holiday,
Riley Lowe
Director of Quality Assurance
Hello,
Despite being away from the office for the weekend, I am responding to emails that require immediate attention. In order for me to give your email my top priority during business hours, please put the word URGENT in the subject line if you have any urgent questions.
Thank you very much,
Emerson Diaz
Financial Advisor
Greetings,
I’m traveling with my family and taking advantage of the holiday season, but I will answer urgent emails. Use URGENT in your subject line if your message is urgent so I know to respond by the end of the business day. Marlowe Williams can be reached via email at mwilliams@email for more general inquiries. com.
Thank you,
Lindsey Bellum
Real Estate Associate
Hello,
I just wanted to wish you a happy holiday season and let you know that I’m not in the office right now. I will only reply to emails marked as URGENT. After I get back, I’ll do my best to reply to all other emails.
Thank you,
Sasha Thyme
