New clothes? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Holiday out-of-office message? Maybe you left that one out before you left to make the most of your holidays. While taking time away from work for the holidays should allow you to temporarily disconnect from your responsibilities, your role as an employee and ambassador of the company continues even when you are not around. By creating a professional out-of-office email to greet those who try to reach out, you can ensure you don’t create the impression of having intentionally snubbed their message.
(Image credit – Freepik)
An out-of-office message for the holidays is also a great way of providing alternate resources to those who might need them. It also allows the sender to work around your absence rather than waiting for a response. As an additional benefit, it gives pause to people who might have otherwise chosen to contact you during your break even without the excuse of an emergency.
Key Tips While Writing a Holiday Out-of-Office Message
Before you look up “out-of-office for the holidays” message templates, it is important to consider your situation carefully and settle on what details you would like to offer. As the holiday out-of-office message is still a professional one, you might want to consult with your manager and those whom you might select to be alternate contacts, to ensure there is no issue later. Let’s look at some other considerations.
Details of Your Unavailability: Holiday Out-of-Office Dates
The main purpose of writing a professional out-of-office email is to convey the specifics of your unavailability. Once you are aware of the exact dates for when you will be away from work, ensure you include them in the email. In some situations, it might also be ideal for you to allow a buffer period. For example, if a client reaches out exactly on the day of your return to work, you might have no idea about the state of their project until you have a few hours to assess the progress. A buffer period can help here. Consult with your seniors first, as they might receive your automated mailers and you don’t want them confused about your return dates.
Example:
“Thank you for the email. I am currently away from work to enjoy some time off celebrating the holidays with my family. I will be back to respond to your mail by [data].”
“Season’s greetings! I’m sorry to have missed your email. I am out of the office for the holidays but I will be back to answer your queries by [date].”
“I hope this message finds you in the holiday spirit. I’m currently on vacation and will be back in the office on [date].”
Response Time
Sometimes, holidays are more than just a week-long escape from the grind of daily life. Some holiday breaks might go on for an extended period where you might not be actively on the job, but will still make time for important tasks every few days. In such cases, you might be willing to respond to emails, but at a much slower pace. This can be mentioned in your out-of-office message for the holidays. Mentioning an approximate duration is a way to indicate that your contacts can still expect a response from you.
Example:
“While I am on holiday, I should still be able to get back to you within 48 hours so please leave your queries here and I’ll ensure they are answered.”
“My internet will be quite unstable until [date of return] so I will be unable to get back to you at once. However, I should be able to ensure a response to your mail by the [earlier date]. Thank you for your patience.”
“I will be back at my desk on [date], and should be able to respond to all my emails by the [date].”
Consider Who Might Email You While You Are Out
Your work email might see a lot of traffic from many different sources. It can be a very smart move to list out the potential reasons why someone can seek you out, and plan out your response for each one. Unfortunately, you cannot personalize the email for each contact, but you might consider adding details for those whose queries you want to prioritize. Accordingly, you can provide a list of details on what they can do next once they cannot reach you.
Example:
“For those looking to publish with our company, please feel free to leave a message at [alternate email id].”
“If you are emailing in response to the job position, we are no longer taking applications for the role. However, thank you for reaching out! We will keep your resume on reserve in case we have any other openings come up.”
“If you require any assistance with regard to our services, please feel free to walk into any of our stores near you, where an employee will be able to guide you through them in detail.”
Situations Where You Might Consider Making Yourself Available
The work doesn’t stop even if you’re away and there might be situations where you’d like to get an update. Consider those exceptions and what you’d like to do in those cases. If you want to be called in case of an emergency, you can provide a number or alternate email ID where you are most likely to respond.
If you want to redirect the decision on whether it is an emergency, you can also instruct the mailler to contact your coworker. The colleague can try to help out or contact you if they think the situation requires it. Remember to discuss this with them before you add their contact details to your holiday out-of-office message.
Examples:
“In case there is an emergency and any campaign needs to be temporarily put on hold, please contact me at [phone number] and I’ll provide the team with instructions to proceed.”
“If you have any questions regarding any active projects, my colleague [Name] can be contacted at [contact details] to answer your questions. Please be rest assured that I will work with him to resolve your issue.”
“I understand that there might be concerns that need to be addressed immediately. In such cases, please leave a message at [number] or [other platform]. I will review the email at the earliest and get back to you with the resources I have at my disposal.”
Alternate Resources
Providing alternate resources to your out-of-office for holiday message templates is entirely optional. You might not always have resources to direct our contacts to, but if you do, it can simplify the work that will await your return. This can include a teammate who is temporarily taking over your responsibilities or another colleague who handles similar tasks. You can also include company resources such as an email ID for business queries, an alternate web page with products and services listed, a link to FAQs, etc.
Example:
“If you have any business-related queries or are considering working with us, please email [contact id] and someone will contact you within the hour.”
“For any questions related to our ongoing work, [Colleague name] will be able to help you out. She can be contacted at [email id] or [number] during the day, and will be able to provide any necessary updates.”
“If you have any questions regarding our products, please refer to our company FAQ at [provide link]. If they are insufficient to answer your queries, [Colleague name] should be able to help you out. You can leave a message at [contact details].”
Avoid Oversharing in your Holiday Out-of-Office Messages
A professional out-of-office email is clear and concise. Mentioning you’re away on holiday is enough of an indication that will be unavailable until the specified dates. More in-depth information about the vacation itself can make the email too casual. If you would like to mention the circumstance, you can bring up details relevant to the delay, such as “unreliable internet connection” or “limited access to electronics.”
Use Professional Language
You might have a great work dynamic with everyone at your company and you might want your holiday out-of-office message to reflect the same. This is alright if you do not have a client-facing role or have very limited email interactions with those outside of your team. But if you do have those outside of the company reaching out, the aim might be to maintain a professional out-of-office email that will not cause any misunderstandings.
Test the Autoresponder
Technology can be fickle and you might have missed something in your excitement to leave for the holiday. It is always a good idea to check the messaging systems and ensure they convey everything you want to say.
Out-of-Office for Holidays Message Templates
Once you familiarize yourself with these pointers and gather all the necessary permissions from managers and coworkers, you are now ready to write a professional out-of-office email. Let us look at 10 out-of-office holiday message templates.
1. Standard Holiday Out-of-Office Message Template
Thank you for your email! I am currently out of the office to celebrate the holidays and I will be back on [date]. I will ensure I respond to your message as soon as I return. I am very grateful for your patience.
Happy holidays!
Regards,
[Your name]
2. Extended Vacation Out-of-Office Message Template
Season’s greetings! This is an automated mailer, thank you for reaching out. I am away on an extended holiday break and will not be back until [date]. I do not intend to keep your emails waiting so please allow me 48 hours to respond and I’ll have an answer to your queries ready for you.
Wishing you joy and laughter this holiday season!
Warm wishes,
[Your name]
3. Limited Email Access Out-of-Office Message Template
Warm wishes to you and your family! I’m currently away celebrating the holidays and will have limited access to my email until [date]. I appreciate your understanding and patience. If my holiday out-of-office message finds you during an emergency or you if feel the matter requires immediate attention, please reach out to [Contact name].
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!
Best,
[Your name]
4. Company on Break Holiday Out-of-Office Message Template
Greetings!
This is an automated message from the team at [Company name]. We are away spending these holidays with our families and the team is officially off duty. Please reach out to us at [contact number] if there is anything you need at once. We will be back with renewed vigor to provide our services to you on [date]. Thank you for considering us to serve your needs.
We look forward to working with you soon!
Sincerely,
[Company name]
[Company website]
5. Casual Holiday Out-of-Office Message Template
Hi there, I hope this automated out-of-office message finds you well! I’m currently unplugged and away from my email for the holidays, reconnecting with friends and family. I’ll be back on [date of your return] and will respond to your message then. For urgent matters, please contact [Contact name] at [contact details]. He should be able to help you out.
Wishing you a restful and joyful holiday!
Best,
[Your name]
6. Business Queries Out-of-Office Message Template
Greetings! Thank you for considering doing business with us. I am currently out of the office for the holidays but will return to work after [date]. If you have any queries regarding our products and services, please consider checking out our website [page link]. For customer reviews and to see our products in action, consider looking at our social media pages [links and handles]. Our FAQ page can be found at [page link] with a comprehensive list of details that might be helpful. For any immediate assistance, please call us at [contact number].
I appreciate your patience and thank you for taking the time to reach out.
Best wishes,
[Your name]
[You role]
[Your company]
7. Limited Internet Access Out-of-Office Message
Thank you for your email. I’m currently away with limited internet access and will be unable to respond until [date]. While I will try to respond to you if I find a stable, I cannot guarantee it will be available. I apologize for any inconvenience caused by the absence. For urgent matters, please contact [alternate contact].
Wishing you a peaceful holiday season!
Warm regards,
[Your name]
8. Immediate Contact Out-of-Office Message Template
I hope you’re having a fantastic holiday season. I am away on vacation, spending my holiday break traveling to a few lovely cities. I will be out of the office until [date] but will get back to your email as soon as possible. In case of any emergencies while I am out of the office, please contact me at [contact detail] and I will respond as soon as possible. My colleague [contact name] should also be available at [contact detail] if you cannot reach me.
Thank you for your time!
Best wishes,
[Your name]
[Your contact detail]
9. Apology Email: Out-of-Office Message Template
This is an automated message. Sincere apologies for missing your email, I am currently out of the office for the holidays but I should return by [date]. Once I have time to settle back into things, I should be able to get back to you by [date]. In the meantime, my team member [contact name] should be able to help you out with anything you need.
If I do not get back to you by the mentioned date, please send a follow-up email and I will ensure an immediate response. I apologize once more for any inconvenience caused and I thank you for your patience.
Wishing you the best!
Regards,
[Your name]
10. Fun Holiday Out-of-Office Message Template
Thanks for your email. I’m currently sipping hot cocoa and celebrating the holidays by the fireplace of a quaint Airbnb. I’ll be back in the office on [date] and will respond to your email then, once the holiday spirit wears down. In the meantime, for urgent matters, please reach out to [Contact name] at [Contact detail].
Wishing you a festive and relaxing holiday!
Warm regards,
[Your Full Name]
With these “out-of-office for the holidays” message templates, you should now be set to leave on vacation, satisfied with a job well done. Whatever tone you choose for your message, ensure it fits the workplace culture to ensure you can be at ease when these emails are sent out. Happy holidays!