Updated: April 4th, 2024; Owner/contact: @Jen Johnson, Role: Operations

<aside> <img src="/icons/apple_gray.svg" alt="/icons/apple_gray.svg" width="40px" /> There are a lot of opinions in the remote world about out-of-office emails. That said, if you are unavailable for more than two working days in a row we ask that you set up an out-of-office automatic response.

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This is out of courtesy to those who may need to be in touch with you, so they can either set reasonable expectations for your response or know who to contact in your absence. There may not be a contact person during a short absence, and this is ok, but it is included in the examples below as it is good practice to consider!

<aside> 💡 Your Out-of-Office reply can be simple:

Hello! I am out of the office and will be returning on [Date]. If you need immediate assistance, please contact [Person & email address]*.

Thank you!

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** If there are multiple responsibilities being covered while you are gone, or multiple needs that you know you may be contacted for, please be sure to include instructions and contact people for each!*

You can also include personal or organisational stories or links to make your message more fun and personal:

Example A:

Hello!

I am out of the office celebrating my grandmother’s 90th birthday this weekend! I will be back on [date] and am looking forward to connecting with you when I return!

Sincerely,

Example B:

Hello!

I am on an extended summer holiday and will return [Date]. If you need immediate support, please contact [Person / Email].

I hope you are able to find some time for fun and relaxation this season! If you need something fun to read, sign up for Sonder’s newsletter!

Looking forward to catching up when I’m back!

Sincerely,