32 Creative Out of Office Holiday Messages

When setting a vacation away message, it is best to first consider the basics such as the dates you will be back in the office and an alternative contact while you are away. If you will be traveling to an exotic location, it is a good idea to mention that in your message to help elevate the sender’s eyes and give you something to talk about when you return. Leaving a more humorous message is another way to get creative. A selection of great creative out of office holiday messages are provided below to help inspire the creation of your particularly unique message.

Hey there, could you give me a call instead? I’d rather deal with this over the phone. If I don’t answer, just keep trying.

I’ve been having issues with my phone.

I am attending training for one week. Don’t expect any difference when I return.

I am away at lunch. You should consider trying it. P.S. – This is not an invitation.

I am away from the office at this moment. I will still be away from the office at the next moment and returning at a later moment. If you have any issues at the current moment, and they cannot wait until a later moment, please contact my manager, who may actually be away at the moment. Moment. Moment.

I am away from the office right now. Unfortunately, I will be back tomorrow.

I am away until [date]. During my absence, please contact [name]. He won’t help you either.

I am away until [date]. I have full access to phone and email, but refuse to use them for work.

I am currently in the office but swamped with work. This work was probably due to something you already requested. If you are sending me another request, go ahead and recall your email now.

I am currently interviewing for a new job. Upon my return, I hope to give my two weeks notice and never respond to your email.

I am currently out of the office. If you can guess my cell phone number, then I will take your call.

I am no longer checking this email account. The company and I reached a settlement, and in exchange for my not coming within 500 feet of their offices, I will not serve any time.

I am on paid leave right now for two weeks. When I get back, I will be on paid return. Upon completing my one week of paid return, I will address any issues or questions you have at a pace I am comfortable with. This is most likely a pace that you will not be comfortable with.

I am out for the day at a doctor’s appointment. My brain is being removed so I can enter management.

I am out of the office until [date]. Enjoy the quiet.

I cannot handle your emails until I return on [date]. Please be patient and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.

I stayed at a motel last night because of the weather, and my cat ran under the bed, which is bolted to the floor. I can’t ask the chambermaids to help me catch the cat, because I’m not supposed to have a cat in here. As soon as the cat comes out, I’ll be back in to work.

I will be on holiday from [date] to [date]. Each person may send me one email while I am gone. I will randomly delete multiple emails from you until only one is left. You have already sent me one email.

I will be out of the office and returning next week. I have incredibly easy access to a phone and email, but I assure you, it will not be used for work purposes.

I will be out of the office from mm/dd/yyyy to mm/dd/yyyy without access to email. If this is an emergency, please call 911.

I will be out of the office on medical leave for the next 2 weeks. When I return, please call me Loretta instead of Steve.

I’m out of the office and returning tomorrow, at which time I will promptly delete all of your emails.

I’m away from my desk at the moment. My cubicle and computer are still here, but someone took my desk. I’ve gone off to look for it.

I’m away until [date]. If you have an immediate issue, contact [name]. If your issue is not immediate, why are you emailing me?

I’m not out of the office. I’m ignoring you.

I’m out of the office, and probably drinking.

I’ve run away to join the circus. A different one.

On a beach, no laptop, no iPhone. Back [date].

On annual leave, hope to win the lottery and never return.

Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system. You are currently in 352nd place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.

You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn’t have received anything at all.

You have been charged £5.99 for the first 10 words of your email and £1.99 for each additional word.

Your message contained 15 characters too many for our system to accept at the present time. Please re-format and re-send.

Many employees find themselves not taking enough time off for vacation. More than a quarter of workers could not relax or get their mind off of work. An estimated 2 in every 5 workers do not use their full vacation time. This is primarily due to their desire to keep it until they may need it. A third of employers find that their employees are less productive surrounding a major holiday. The below infographic provides some additional interesting statistics and facts about workers and vacation time.