Before you type that out-of-office message, pause for a moment.
Because you’ve been writing them all wrong.
You’ve been oversharing, making promises you can’t keep and you’ve been far too vague.
But don’t worry, LinkedIn career expert Zara Easton is here to help you craft the perfect OOO (as it’s often abbreviated to) and keep you in a job.
She says: ‘A well-crafted out-of-office message is more than just a box to tick before you log off. It’s a key part of workplace communication.
‘It ensures colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders know when you’ll be available and where to direct urgent matters in your absence, which is key to planning.’
Read on for Zara’s top tips.
DO
Be clear and concise
LinkedIn career expert Zara Easton (not pictured) is here to help you craft the perfect OOO. She says: ‘A well-crafted out-of-office message is more than just a box to tick before you log off. It’s a key part of workplace communication’
LinkedIn career expert Zara
Zara says: ‘The best OOO messages get straight to the point: when you’re away, when you’ll be back, and who to contact in your absence. A simple, structured message makes it easier for the recipient to get what they need quickly.’
Provide an alternative contact
Zara says: ‘If possible, always include a colleague or team inbox for urgent matters. This keeps workflows running smoothly and prevents people from feeling stranded.’
Set expectations
‘If you’re not checking emails at all, say so,’ says Zara. ‘If you’ll be dipping in occasionally, make that clear too. This stops people from second-guessing whether they should follow up.’
DON’T
Overshare to external recipients
Zara says: ‘You might want to say “I’m off to sunny Spain for two weeks of sangria and siestas”, but keep that for an internal OOO. For external, keep it professional.’
Make promises you can’t keep
‘Saying “I’ll respond immediately upon my return” might not be realistic if you’re facing a backlog,’ says Zara, who adds: ‘It’s better to set a more flexible expectation, like, “I will get back to you as soon as I can upon my return.”‘
Forget to turn it off
Zara cautions: ‘It’s odd receiving an out-of-date OOO from someone who’s been back for a week, and it could also make you look disorganised or disengaged. You can pre-schedule your OOO message for certain dates to avoid this!’
THE COMMON MISTAKES
Zara says: ‘The best OOO messages get straight to the point: when you’re away, when you’ll be back, and who to contact in your absence’
Take a moment to craft an OOO that’s useful.
Zara explains: ‘In a rush to clock off, sometimes people tend to draft a quick message that’s too vague. A simple “I’m out of office” with no details on when you’ll be back or who to contact leaves the sender in limbo. On the flip side, being overly detailed, like listing your entire itinerary or giving a lengthy explanation, can make your message cluttered and unhelpful.
‘For those who use Outlook, setting or updating the OOO for internal-only contacts can be an easy mistake to make – make sure you tick both internal and external.’
Humour is another potential OOO landmine.
Zara warns: ‘It’s important to remember that humour is very subjective, and within a work context, jokes can get misconstrued. To be on the safe side, keep your tone professional but friendly.
‘Plus, you don’t want to create post-holiday panic by worrying that your OOO joke has fallen flat!’
THE PERFECT OOO
We asked Zara for a word-perfect out-of-office.
The career guru replied: ‘I wouldn’t want to put words in your mouth, but something along the lines of the following can be a good template to follow: “Thanks for your email. I’m currently out of the office from [date] to [date] and will respond as soon as possible upon my return. For urgent matters, please contact [colleague’s name] at [colleague’s email]. Thanks for your patience!”‘
A BADLY DONE OOO
Zara revealed that she had recently seen some ‘entertaining’ yet ill-advised out-of-office messages.
One read: ‘On holiday. Do I have access to the Internet? Yes. Am I going to use it to respond to your email? No.’