There’s one task we can all agree that we don’t mind doing, and that’s turning on our out of office for a summer holiday. After months of hard work, activating the OOO for a well-deserved break is the perfect way to get into holiday mode.

But when it comes to returning, more often than not we’re bombarded with emails from people expecting responses as soon as we’re back. Even for those with strong time management skills, catching up after two weeks off can be a challenge. The sheer volume of emails to work through can cause us to feel stressed the minute we open our email accounts, which is something that we don’t need after a week or two of relaxation!

Out of Office Writing Tips

Unfortunately, we can’t help you shift your holiday blues, but we do have some tips on creating an OOO which manages the expectations of others, making your return to work as stress-free as possible:

  1. Start with a friendly but clear greeting
  2. Specify when you will be back
  3. Provide alternative contacts
  4. End your message professionally

Start with a friendly but clear greeting

Let people know you’re out of office and won’t be thinking, let alone responding, to emails while you’re away. Check out our example below:

Hi, thank you for your email. I’m currently OOO with no access to my emails.

Specify when you will be back

Confirm when you’ll be back in office and let them know they can expect to hear from you when you’re back. Don’t state that you’ll respond to them on the day you return, as this will create an expectation that you may not be able to fulfil. You can be vague about when you’ll get back to them, while also showing that their email is important to you. Such as:

I will be back in the office from 21st August and will respond to your email as soon as possible.

Provide alternative contacts

Provide contact details for another member of your team. If their email is urgent, it gives them a way of getting a quicker response, and it also saves you a job when you return. So it’s a win-win! Our example:

If urgent, please contact my colleague John at john@example.com.

Be sure to let your colleague know their contact information is on your out of office, so they know to expect a few more emails than usual.

End your message professionally

Finish your auto-response with a professional and friendly closing sentence. Such as:

I look forward to catching up with you on my return.

This brief but effective auto response will manage the expectations of others, meaning you can return to work raring to go, with as little stress as possible!

Is time management on a regular day at work challenging? Discover DLC Training’s tips on how to improve time management skills, so you can stay on top of your workload with ease.