60 funny out of office messages that still sound professional
Make one in seconds with the generator, or copy a funny, straight or holiday reply. Plus where the setting lives in Outlook, Gmail, Teams and Slack.
The best funny out of office messages make people smile and still answer the two questions every sender has: when are you back, and who can help until then? Pick a tone, add your date and a backup contact, and copy your message.
Thanks for your email! I'm out of the office and back on [return date]. Until then, my inbox and I are taking a short break from each other. I'll reply as soon as I'm back.
Funny out of office messages
Sixty humorous out of office replies, all safe for a work inbox. Swap in your date, a backup name and their email.
Funny vacation out of office messages
1. Thanks for your email. I'm on vacation until [date], somewhere with bad Wi-Fi and good snacks. For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].
2. I'm out of the office and back on [date]. My inbox is in charge while I'm gone, and it has no idea what it's doing. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].
3. I'm currently on vacation, practicing the ancient art of not checking email. Back on [date]. If it can't wait, [name] at [email] can help.
4. Your email has arrived safely. I, on the other hand, am on a beach. Back on [date]. Urgent? Try [name] at [email].
5. I'm away until [date] and left my laptop at home on purpose. It's doing fine. For anything urgent, please reach out to [name] at [email].
6. Out of office until [date]. If your message is urgent, contact [name] at [email]. If it's not, enjoy the suspense.
7. I'm on vacation and my phone is in a drawer, where it belongs. I'll reply when I'm back on [date]. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
8. Gone fishing. Not literally, probably. Back on [date]. Please contact [name] at [email] for anything urgent.
9. Thank you for your message. I'm recharging and will return on [date] at roughly 80% battery. For urgent help, contact [name] at [email].
10. I'm out of the office exploring places with no meetings. Back on [date]. In the meantime, [name] at [email] is happy to help.
11. I'm on vacation until [date]. I'll read your email when I return, right after the other 400. For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].
12. Hi! I'm away, and I promised my family I wouldn't check email. They are watching. Back on [date]. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].
13. I'm out of the office until [date], testing whether hammocks improve productivity. Early results look promising. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
14. I'm away from my desk and a long way from the nearest inbox. Back on [date]. Urgent? Contact [name] at [email].
15. I'm on a much-needed break and back on [date]. Your email is important to me, just not this week. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].
Short funny out of office replies
16. Out of office. Back [date]. Urgent? [name] at [email].
17. Away from my desk, and enjoying it. Back on [date].
18. Currently offline, on purpose. Back on [date].
19. I'm out. My inbox is not. Back on [date].
20. On vacation. Will reply on [date] with a tan and a backlog.
21. Gone until [date]. Your email is in good hands: mine, later.
22. Out of office and out of reach until [date].
23. Recharging. Back on [date] at full battery.
24. Not here. Back on [date]. Ask [name] at [email] in the meantime.
25. Away until [date]. Please hold all applause.
26. I'm off the grid until [date]. The grid will survive.
27. Out of office, napping professionally. Back on [date].
28. Taking a break from email. Email is taking it personally. Back on [date].
29. On PTO until [date]. Pretty Totally Offline.
30. Out of office. Back on [date]. Ask me anything then, except how my inbox is doing.
Humorous out of office replies about work life
31. I'm out of the office until [date]. If this email is about a meeting that could have been an email, congratulations, you did it. For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].
32. Thank you for your email. I'll reply when I'm back on [date], right after I rebuild my to-do list from scratch. Urgent? [name] at [email] can help.
33. I'm away until [date]. Please don't reply-all to this. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
34. I'm out of the office and back on [date]. If you need a spreadsheet fixed, [name] at [email] is better at them anyway.
35. I'm out until [date]. Any message marked “quick question” will be answered with appropriate suspicion when I return.
36. Out of office until [date]. Please circle back then, and I'll be sure to touch base and take it offline.
37. I'm away until [date]. Per my last email: I'm away until [date].
38. Your message has joined a queue behind 47 other urgent messages. I'll be back on [date]. For true emergencies, contact [name] at [email].
39. I'm out of the office. While I'm gone, please assume I agree with whatever [name] says. Reach them at [email]. Back on [date].
40. I'm out until [date]. If your email says “ASAP,” please contact [name] at [email]. If it says “no rush,” thank you, you're my favorite.
41. I'm out of the office, which is like being on mute, but for a whole week. Back on [date]. Urgent? Contact [name] at [email].
42. I'm away until [date]. I've asked my calendar to decline all meetings on my behalf. It seems thrilled. Urgent? [name] at [email] can help.
43. Thanks for your note! I'll be back on [date], ready to pretend I read every email in the thread. For urgent items, contact [name] at [email].
44. I'm out of the office until [date]. Please don't book anything at 8 a.m. on the day I get back. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].
45. Out of office until [date]. My replies are paused, my status says “away” and a neighbor is watering my plants. Urgent? Contact [name] at [email].
Funny messages for conferences, training and days off
46. I'm at a conference until [date], collecting free pens and good ideas. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
47. I'm in training until [date], learning things I'll remember until at least Friday. Urgent? Contact [name] at [email].
48. I'm out for a long weekend and back on [date], rested and only slightly behind. Urgent? [name] at [email] can help.
49. I'm traveling for work until [date] and answering email between flights, slowly. For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email].
50. I'm at a team offsite until [date], doing activities that can't be scheduled over email. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].
51. I'm taking a personal day and back on [date]. My inbox has been told to behave. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
52. I'm at a trade show until [date]. If you're here too, come find me by the coffee. If not, I'll reply when I'm back.
53. I'm out sick and back on [date]. I'll reply once I feel human again. For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].
54. I'm in workshops until [date], with my laptop closed and my notebook open. Urgent? Contact [name] at [email].
55. I'm moving house until [date], surrounded by boxes I labeled “misc.” For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].
56. I'm on jury duty until [date], doing my civic duty and drinking courthouse coffee. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
57. I'm on a company volunteer day and back on [date]. Doing good, back soon. Urgent? [name] at [email] can help.
58. I'm away for a family event until [date]. I'll reply when I'm back and caught up on sleep. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].
59. I'm on a short sabbatical until [date], working on a project called “me.” For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].
60. I'm out for the day and back on [date]. If this is about lunch plans, I'm in. Everything else can wait.
Best out of office messages that keep it professional
Fifteen straight replies for clients, customers and anyone outside your company.
61. Thank you for your email. I'm out of the office until [date] with limited access to email. For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email].
62. I'm currently out of the office and will return on [date]. I'll respond to your message as soon as possible after I'm back.
63. Thank you for reaching out. I'm away until [date]. If you need immediate help, please contact [name] at [email].
64. I'm out of the office today and back on [date]. For time-sensitive requests, please contact [name] at [email].
65. Hello, I'm on annual leave until [date] and won't be checking email. I'll read your message when I return.
66. Thank you for your message. I'm attending a conference until [date] and will respond as soon as I can.
67. I'm traveling with limited access to email and will reply by [date]. For urgent matters, please contact [name] at [email].
68. I'm out of the office and back on [date]. For questions about [project], please contact [name] at [email]. For anything else, I'll reply when I return.
69. Thank you for your email. I'm on leave until [date]. During this time, [name] ([email]) is covering my responsibilities.
70. I'm away from the office until [date]. If your message is urgent, please contact [name] at [email].
71. Thanks for getting in touch. I'm out until [date] and will respond after I return. Thank you for your patience.
72. I'm on parental leave until [date] and won't be checking email. For anything that needs attention, please contact [name] at [email].
73. I'm out of the office for the rest of the week and back on [date]. I'll get back to you then.
74. Thank you for your email. I'm currently away and will return on [date]. Please note that your message will not be forwarded.
75. I'm out of the office until [date]. For urgent support requests, please contact our team at [email].
Holiday out of office messages
For the winter break, Thanksgiving, New Year and summer holidays, or a whole-office closure.
76. Happy holidays! I'm out of the office until [date], enjoying time with family and friends. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
77. I'm away for the holidays and back on [date]. Wishing you a restful season. Urgent? Please contact [name] at [email].
78. Season's greetings! I'm out of the office until [date], probably eating something with frosting. For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].
79. I'm out for the holiday break and back on [date]. My inbox is getting some rest too. Happy holidays!
80. Thank you for your email. Our office is closed for the holidays until [date]. We'll reply as soon as we're back. Happy holidays!
81. I'm out until [date], taking part in the annual tradition of forgetting what day it is. Happy holidays!
82. Happy New Year! I'm out of the office until [date] and will reply when I'm back. Here's to a great year ahead.
83. I'm away for Thanksgiving and back on [date], hopefully no longer full. For urgent requests, contact [name] at [email].
84. I'm out for the long weekend and back on [date]. Enjoy the break if you have one too!
85. I'm away for the summer holidays until [date], with sunscreen on and notifications off. For urgent matters, contact [name] at [email].
86. I'm out of office for the holidays, busy losing at board games with family. Back on [date]. Happy holidays!
87. Our team is taking a holiday break until [date] to rest and recharge. For urgent matters, please contact [email].
How to set an out of office message in Outlook, Gmail, Teams and Slack
Menus move between app versions. If a step looks different, search the app's settings for “automatic replies.”
- Outlook
- In the new Outlook and Outlook on the web, open Settings (the gear icon), choose Accounts, then Automatic replies. Turn replies on, set the dates, write your message and save. Work accounts can add a separate message for people outside your organization.
- Gmail
- Open Settings (the gear icon), choose See all settings and stay on the General tab. Scroll down to Vacation responder, turn it on, set the first and last day, add a subject and message, then click Save Changes.
- Teams out of office message
- Select your profile picture, choose Set status message, then Schedule out of office. Turn on automatic replies, write your message, set the dates and save. With a Microsoft 365 work account, it also turns on your Outlook automatic replies.
- Slack
- Slack shows a status instead of sending an automatic reply. Click your profile picture, update your status with your return date (“On vacation, back Oct 19”), choose when it clears and pause notifications.
What to include in an out of office reply
- The day you're back, not just the day you left.
- Who to contact for anything urgent, with their email.
- Whether you'll check email at all while you're away.
- A straight version for clients if your app allows one, saving the jokes for coworkers.
- No travel details or home plans in replies that go outside your company.
Back from the break? Warm the team up again with a quick round from our team meeting games or a question of the day. If half the company was away at once, a hosted virtual happy hour is an easy welcome back, and our holiday party games for work cover the week before everyone logs off.
