Just hang in there, the holiday break is near. Alas! You can finally disconnect, recharge, and relax.
But of course, you have to take care of a lot of year-end reports — planning out tasks, tying up loose ends, and perhaps, preparing for the coming new year. And then of course, when you are finally done and ready to take a break, there’s one final thing you must take care of while you take your break with your loved ones: Your out-of-office response.
That’s right. An out-of-office response is an automated email message that will be sent back to anyone who shoots you an email while you’re on leave. They are important. For starters, you don’t want to appear snobbish, and… you might even get some new leads just by leaving a well-thought-of out-of-office email message.
So, here are seven various templates you can use. Feel free to copy and paste them, but it is highly encouraged to add something of yourself into these templates (I mean, tweak them according to your personality).
For the Straightforwardly Professional Ones
Hello,
Thank you for your email, I’m currently out of the office until [date].
I’ll reply to your message promptly when I return. Should you require immediate assistance, please send an email to [contact name] at [contact email] in my absence.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season,
[Your Name]
For The Friendly (But Professional) Ones
Hello,
Thank you for your email. I’m currently out of the office until [date] to celebrate the holiday with my loved ones. I won’t have my phone with me all the time.
I’ll be sure to reply to your message when I wade through my inbox upon my return. If your message is urgent and requires immediate attention, please send an email to [contact name] at [contact email].
Sending wishes for a happy holiday season,
[Your Name]
For The Fun, Talkative Ones
Hey there,
Season’s greetings!
It’s my favorite time of year, which means I’m currently out of the office chugging mugs of choco, stuffing my face with fruit salads and cakes, and attempting to fulfill my lifelong goal of memorizing every single line of [your favorite holiday movie].
I’ll be back in front of my computer on [date] and will respond to your message at that time. If you need immediate assistance, please send an email to [contact name] at [contact email].
Happy ho-ho-holidays!
[Your Name]
For Those Who Intend to Chill in a Galaxy Far Far Away (Where There Is No Internet)
Hello,
Thanks for your email. I’m currently out of the office, returning on [date]. I’ll respond to your message then.
While I won’t be quite as far as the North Pole, I will still be completely disconnected from my inbox until my return. So, if you require immediate assistance, please send your email to [contact name] at [contact email].
Best wishes for a happy holiday season,
[Your Name]
For the Workaholic Vacationeer
Oops, you’ve missed me!
I’m out of the office until [date].
But I will be taking periodic breaks from eating, binge-watching, and probably from cooking, too, to check my email [once per day/every evening/occasionally] while I’m away.
I will surely respond to your email when I’m back in the office. But, if this requires an immediate response, please resend any messages that require my immediate attention with a subject line of “URGENT: [Original Subject]”.
Happy Holidays,
[Your Name]
For the Strange, Funny Ones
Hello,
I’m currently out of the office for the holidays. While you are reading this response, I am probably:
- Trying not to laugh at my [relative’s] corny jokes
- Trying not to get pissed at my [relative] asking me why I still don’t have a boy/girlfriend
- Attempting to explain my career to my [relative] for the 800th time
- Trying not to get hungry (I’m probably busy stuffing my face with cookies)
I’ll return on [date] or after I watch [favorite holiday movie] one too many times (whichever comes first)—and will respond to your message at that time.
If your request is urgent, please send your request to [contact name] at [contact email].
Happy Holidays!
[Your Name]
For the Techy Ones
Hello.
Are you looking for [Your Name]?
If yes, oops, you’ve missed her/him. I’m [David]. I’m an autoresponder. [Your Name] is out of the office. I’m all alone here. But it’s okay. After all, this is the only time of the year I’m around.
[Your Name] said he/she will be back on [date]. I’m sure he/she will respond to your message as soon as he/she’s back. But if your concern is urgent, please send an email to [contact name] at [contact email]. He/She is not an autoresponder, I promise. He/She will take care of your needs.
Happy Holidays,
[David], [Your Name]’s Amazing Responder