A good out of office message says when you’ll be back, who can help before then, and nothing else a stranger doesn’t need. Copy a template below, replace every bracket, and ask your backup before you put their name in it. Write the return date with the weekday, as in “Monday, January 4,” so nobody has to look it up.
Dates for the 2026–27 holidays
Federal holiday dates are from the US Office of Personnel Management. The Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and a winter break are common company time off, not federal holidays. Private employers set their own closures, so check your company’s calendar first. Gmail’s responder runs from 12:00 AM on the start date to 11:59 PM on the end date, so setting the end to Sunday also covers the weekend before you return.
| Time off | Gmail start to end date | Say you’re back on |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Day | Nov 11 to Nov 11, 2026 | Thursday, November 12 |
| Thanksgiving, Thursday and Friday | Nov 26 to Nov 29, 2026 | Monday, November 30 |
| Christmas Day only | Dec 25 to Dec 27, 2026 | Monday, December 28 |
| Christmas Eve and Christmas Day | Dec 24 to Dec 27, 2026 | Monday, December 28 |
| Winter break, Dec 24 through Jan 1 | Dec 24, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027 | Monday, January 4 |
| New Year’s Day only | Jan 1 to Jan 3, 2027 | Monday, January 4 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Jan 18 to Jan 18, 2027 | Tuesday, January 19 |
| Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day) | Feb 15 to Feb 15, 2027 | Tuesday, February 16 |
| Memorial Day | May 31 to May 31, 2027 | Tuesday, June 1 |
| Juneteenth (observed Friday) | Jun 18 to Jun 20, 2027 | Monday, June 21 |
| Independence Day (observed Monday) | Jul 5 to Jul 5, 2027 | Tuesday, July 6 |
Check the year as well as the date, especially on any message that runs across January 1.
20 templates by situation
Holidays
1. Thanksgiving
I’m out of the office for Thanksgiving and will be back on [Return date]. For anything urgent before then, please contact [Backup name] at [Backup email]. Thank you, and enjoy the holiday.
2. Company closed for the winter holidays
Our office is closed from [First day closed] through [Last day closed] and reopens on [Return date]. We’ll respond to messages in the order received once we’re back. For [urgent issue type], contact [Coverage contact].
3. You’re off for the holidays, but your company is open
I’m away through [Last day off] and return on [Return date]. [Backup name] is covering my work at [Backup email]. Otherwise, I’ll reply by [Reply-by date].
4. New Year’s Day
I’m out of the office for New Year’s Day and will reply when I return on [Return date]. If this can’t wait, please write to [Backup email].
5. Holiday time, with no holiday named
I’m away from work and will return on [Return date], when I’ll reply as soon as I can. For anything urgent, please contact [Backup name] at [Backup email]. Wishing you a good end to the year.
Vacation
6. With a backup
I’m out of the office until [Return date] and won’t be checking email. [Backup name] can help with [topic] at [Backup email].
7. No backup, on a small team
I’m out of the office until [Return date], and no one is covering this inbox. I’ll reply by [Reply-by date]. If your deadline falls before then, please include it in your subject line so I can read those first when I return.
8. Checking email now and then
I’m away until [Return date] and will check email only on [Day], so replies will be slow. For anything that needs an answer sooner, please contact [Backup name] at [Backup email].
Health, family, and leave
9. Sick day, return unknown
I’m out of the office and don’t have a return date yet. For anything urgent, please contact [Backup name] at [Backup email]. I’ll reply when I’m back.
10. Parental leave
I’m on leave until [Return date] and won’t be monitoring this inbox. [Backup name] is handling my work and can be reached at [Backup email].
11. Personal or medical leave, with no reason given
I’m out of the office and will return on [Return date]. During this time, please send requests to [Backup name] at [Backup email].
Work travel and part-day absences
12. Conference or training
I’m at a work event through [Last day away] with limited email access. I’ll reply when I’m back on [Return date]. For anything time-sensitive, contact [Backup email].
13. Business travel, still working
I’m traveling for work until [Return date], and replies may take up to [Number] business days. If you need something sooner, please contact [Backup name] at [Backup email].
14. Part-day absence
I’m away from [Start time] to [End time] [Time zone] on [Date], and I’ll reply after that. If it’s urgent, please contact [Backup email].
15. A part-time or recurring schedule
I work [Days] and don’t check this inbox on other days, so you can expect a reply on my next working day. For anything urgent, please contact [Backup email].
Changing or leaving a job
16. Last day at the company
As of [Last day], I no longer work at [Company]. For help with [topic], please contact [Successor name] at [Successor email]. Thank you for working with me.
17. Moved to a new role in the company
I’ve moved to a new role in [Team]. For [old responsibility], please contact [Successor name] at [Successor email]. I’m still reachable at this address for [new responsibility].
Job seekers, shared inboxes, and coworkers
18. Personal email during a job search
Thanks for your message. I’m checking email once a day through [Last day away], so replies may be slow. I’ll respond by [Reply-by date].
Add interview availability only on an address you use solely for your job search.
19. Shared team inbox over the holidays
Our team is away from [First day closed] through [Last day closed]. We’ll start answering messages on [Return date]. For [urgent issue type], use [Coverage contact or link].
20. Internal version for coworkers
I’m out until [Return date]. [Backup name] has [project] and can approve [type of request]. Current status and files are in [Shared location]. Please don’t hold [process] for me.
A subject line such as “Out of office until [Return date]” works for templates with a return date. For 9, use “Out of office today”; for 15, “My working days”; for 16 and 17, “New contact for [topic]”. Gmail notes that adding a subject keeps your reply out of the existing conversation thread, so it arrives as a separate email.
What to tell coworkers and what to tell everyone else
An auto-reply can go to anyone who emails you. Kaspersky’s security guidance warns that autoreplies can confirm an address is active and reveal names, roles, and schedules, which can be used for targeted phishing, and it recommends separate internal and external versions. Classic Outlook has separate tabs for this; see the setup below.
| Detail | Coworkers | Outside senders |
|---|---|---|
| Return date | Yes | Yes |
| Why you’re away | Optional | Leave it out or keep it general |
| Who is covering | Name and what they can decide | A team inbox if you have one, otherwise one name and work email |
| Project status or links | Yes, in a shared location | No |
| Colleagues’ phone numbers | Only if they agreed | No |
| Where you’re going | No | No |
| Your personal phone | Only if you really want those calls | No |
One message, rewritten
This example is fictional.
Before: “Hi! I’m in Cancun with my family until the 11th with no wifi!! For anything urgent, call my boss Dana on her cell at (555) 010-0123, or try me on mine. I’m in the middle of the Northline renewal.”
After: “I’m out of the office until Monday, January 11, and won’t be checking email. For anything that can’t wait, please write to accounts@example.com.”
What changed: The location, the empty-house clue, the manager’s number, and the client’s name are gone. If you are interviewing elsewhere, the same logic applies: “I’m out of the office from 2 to 4 PM” is enough, and a work account is no place to mention the reason. To decide how reachable you want to be, see how to set boundaries at work.
How to set it up
Outlook
- New Outlook for Windows: On the View tab, choose View settings, then Accounts, then Automatic Replies. Turn on the toggle, select “Send replies only during a time period,” add your times, write your message, and save. On a work or school account, also choose whether to turn on “Send replies outside your organization.”
- Classic Outlook: Choose File, then Automatic Replies, then “Send automatic replies.” Set a date range and type separate messages on the Inside My Organization and Outside My Organization tabs.
- Outlook on the web: Choose Settings, then Account, then Automatic replies, and follow the same steps as new Outlook.
On work accounts, Microsoft warns that replying to everyone outside your organization sends a reply to every incoming message, including newsletters and junk mail, and suggests “Send replies only to contacts” instead. Microsoft also notes that automatic replies don’t work with Gmail, Yahoo, or other POP or IMAP accounts added to Outlook.
Gmail
On a computer, click Settings, then “See all settings.” On the General tab, select “Vacation responder on,” enter your dates, subject, and message, and click Save Changes. You can tick the box to send replies only to your contacts.
Google says a sender usually gets your reply only the first time they write, and may get it again after four days if the responder is still on. If you edit the message, people who already received the old one see the new version when they email again. Gmail doesn’t send replies to messages in spam or to mailing lists you subscribe to, and your signature is added below your reply.
Before you leave for the day
- No brackets remain, and the dates and year are right.
- Your backup has agreed and knows what they can decide.
- You sent a test from an account that isn’t yours.
- The end date is set, or you have a reminder to turn it off.
- If you promised a reply-by date, your first day back can actually absorb it.
- For a last-day message, you asked your manager or IT what happens to your inbox, because some companies close or redirect it.
If you are writing template 16, see how to write a resignation letter for the rest of that handoff. If you are starting somewhere new, the first 90 days guide covers what comes next.