Eh, figuratively. Itâs like saying Iâve gone to lunch even though Iâm still right here eating at my deskâthe point is that Iâm unavailable to do any work.
When it comes to the final days before vacation, people tend to fall into one of two camps: 1) those who watch the clock incessantly, and 2) those who are so busy before they leave, they might even forget to put up an out-of-office (OOO) email message.
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We do this. Itâs horrible. Especially if someone is termed. They should forward the mail to someone. Nope, it just goes *poof*
If you require immediate assistance in my absence, please contact John on 0912345678 or [email protected]. He will be available to deal with your inquiry.
Before you put your coworkerâs email address on your out-of-office message, get their approval and discuss a plan for handling requests and passing responsibilities back when you return.
For non-urgent inquiries during my absence, you can contact [Name] at [email] or [phone number], and they will be happy to assist.
One thing that happens when you regularly send a newsletter out to tens of thousands of people is that you see a lot of automatic Out Of Office (OOO) email responses. The most common one I receive goes something like this: Hi, Iâm out of the office until __ and may be slow to respond to email. If itâs an emergency, you can reach me at __ or please contact __. Thanks!
For comparison my current (not great) boss sent an out of office recently detailing how he would be out because he was on his personal sail boat all day, sailing from vacation destination X back to our port city. At length. In a pandemic. When we all had our wages frozen at the start of the crisis.
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Thatâs it. Thatâs all. Simple and to the point, this message will let people know that you canât respond to messages.
I should note that our voicemail system has a pretty straightforward feature to put an end date on an out-of-office voicemail message. I am baffled why this person does not use the feature.
Iâll be sure to reply to your message when I wade through my inbox upon my return. If your message is time-sensitive, please send an email to [contact name] at [contact email].
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Depends on the system. Our Outlook is set up so that if youâve got someone with an OOO in the âToâ field, a note shows up saying that they are sending automated messages, and you can see the message. Convenient, since then I can add the person covering their stuff to the email without sending a second email.
Who talks like that? A blowhard, thatâs who⊠I promise, gentle customer, you wonât hear garbage like that from me. Iâll tell you why I like Aviation⊠Because it tastes like somebody finally made a gin for everyone.
Hi, You just missed me. I am out of the office until [MM/DD]. If your question can wait, great. Iâll reply when I get back. If not, contact [name] at [email] or [phone] and theyâll take good care of you. Meanwhile, feel free to peruse our FAQ section of [website] to see if your question canât be answered there.
Iâm part time. I donât use an out of office message, but I do have my hours in my signature, and sometimes include that information in the body of email. Many of the people I correspond with frequently need things turned around quickly â postings for public meetings need to go out so many days ahead of said meeting, and similar. They need to know when Iâm available to get the work done!