I’m not sure I agree. Just as it’s part of the job for someone to handle their emails, it’s also part of the job for the sender to make sure that their request is sent to someone who is available.
My OOO auto reply is fairly detailed. I have links to information for products I work with, an alternate point of contact for people to approach, etc. It’s really a CYA thing. What irks me about some OOO auto replies is when the person who is out has an alternate point of contact who is also out. Both are obvious planned absences, and both people are on the same team. Don’t they talk to one another about vacation??
.
Now that you know what you should and shouldn’t include, how do you go about crafting the perfect out-of-office vacation message?
Yes – it’s become a stock phrase that people think sounds polite but they’re not grasping the nuance of it.
Yes – this might amuse me if I got it once, but it would get old very fast . Maybe as an internal message if it fit the office culture. If I were an outside client or contractor and got something like that I;d see it as unprofessional (although I get that cultures and industries differ)
Business Partner Magazine provides business tips for small business owners (SME). We are your business partner helping you on your road to business success.
A few years ago we had a team meeting, with the typical agenda provided to all by our manager. One of the items was OOO and the manager’s name and dates of her upcoming vacation–of course, to give the team advance notice that she would be out. One of my colleagues did not know the acronym and was at first confused. His read: “Ooooh, Mary is on vacation for these dates and is so excited.” Which I am sure was the case, but . . . no, not exactly. Ha ha.
I regret to say that I am currently out of the office due to vacation. During vacations, I will have limited access to email and won’t be able to respond to you timely. I will be having my laptop and Android phone with me and try my best to respond to any urgent email. If you feel that your query is urgent, and you need a quick response to send me an email on [Email].I am leaving behind my assistant whose name is Lewis. You may ask him anything regarding the official work otherwise I will respond by email for the time when I come.
Thanks for your email. I’m currently out of the office, returning on [date]. I’ll respond to your message then.
As you may have noticed, the holiday season is around the corner. We hope that you and your family are safe and in happy holiday spirits!
“Thank you for your message. I am out of the office today with no access to phone. I will be back on April 5. In case you need any immediate help, you can reach [person] at [phone number].”
You may also like:online dating rejections vs. job rejectionshow to write the perfect out-of-office messageshould I create a video of myself and send it along with my job application? Post navigation ← coworker loves to abuse robocallers, boss uses Facebook photos without permission, and more Ask a Manager in the media → { 728 comments… read them below } Ask a Manager* Post authorJune 3, 2021 at 11:01 am
Season’s Greetings! It’s my favorite time of year, which means I’m currently out of the office chugging mugs of cocoa, stuffing my face with cookies, and attempting to fulfill my life-long goal of memorizing every single line of [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 [NAME] at [EMAIL] so that the other elves in this workshop can help you out. Happy ho-ho-holidays!
Whether you’re looking for something straight-laced and formal or over-the-top festive, here are six different holiday out-of-office messages you can use depending on what you feel would be perfectly suited to you, your company, and this time of year. Out of Office Template #1 For the Person Who Works at a Traditional Company
Stav is a senior editor and writer at The Muse, where she covers careers and work with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Before joining The Muse, Stav was a staff writer at Newsweek, and her work has also appeared in publications including The Atlantic, The Forward, and Newsday. Stav earned a B.A. in history with a minor in dance at Stanford University and holds an M.S. from Columbia Journalism School. She won the Newswomen's Club of New York's Martha Coman Front Page Award for Best New Journalist in 2016. She prefers sunshine and tolerates winters grudgingly. You can find her on LinkedIn and Twitter and can visit her website here.
Holidays Signs & Templates . Holidays are special days, full of food, family, and fun. You have your traditions, your decorations, but do you have your holiday signage? Signage can be a great addition to any holiday, from Memorial Day to Independence Day, Halloween to Christmas.
If you’re using the web version of Outlook, you can set up out of office replies by going to Settings > View all Outlook settings > Mail > Automatic replies. Then turn on automatic replies, write your message, and click Save.