Out-of-Office Email Messages That Will Make You Laugh

These fun out-of-office messages are a great way to express yourself and engage with coworkers, prospects, and customers without being boring

It’s vacation season! Don’t forget to set your out-of-office messages before you go!

Here are some clever examples you could use to make your OOO messages more entertaining.

What Should My Out-of-Office Message Contain?

First and foremost, let’s review the fundamentals of an OOO email. You usually include the following in your away message:

• A simple “I’m out of the office” statement.
• The day and time you’ll be gone.
• Who to contact if the sender requires quick assistance.
• Signing off.

If you put it all together, your autoresponder would look like this:

“Hi there,

Thanks for your email. I’m currently out of the office until mm/dd/yyyy. If you need help, email my colleague at colleague@example.com.

Best,

[Name]”

A little boring, but it gets the job done. Or… you could liven up your message with one of these:

• I’ll email you back once I’ve defrosted.
• I’ll get back to you when I return to civilization.
• If you need to reach me, you can’t. Instead, reach out to [person and email they can contact].
• The bad news is that I’m out of the office. The good news is that I’m out of the office.
• I am currently out of the office and probably chilling on the beach. Enjoy your workweek.
• Can you guess where I am? (Include photo.)
• Alexa, play Vacation by Dirty Heads.
• The doorbell just rang. It’s the UPS driver. He’s loading me onto the truck.

Of course, you can always add a couple of emojis to let people know you’re just trying to be silly or add gifs or photos for entertainment purposes. You may want to add an additional line explaining why you’re out. Hopefully, the receiver won’t be too upset they can’t reach you for a few days and be happy that you are getting to spend some time away from work because you made them giggle a little.

Creating engaging out-of-office messages requires a delicate balance. To ensure your messages are both humorous and professional, consider these tips: Keep it concise, stating your absence dates and an alternative contact. Inject humor that aligns with your audience’s sensibilities, avoiding any potentially offensive jokes. Maintain clarity to ensure recipients understand your message’s intent. By following these guidelines, you can craft memorable and effective out-of-office messages that leave a positive impact while keeping professionalism intact.

How to Be Funny But Still Professional

Now, all of these OOO messages are a great way to express yourself and engage with coworkers, prospects, and customers. It’s still crucial to maintain a professional demeanor and keep your jokes’ content PG to PG13.

It’s also crucial that your sense of humor isn’t so self-deprecating that it hurts your reputation or that if you’re more sarcastic, you’re not hurting anyone, and it’s evident that you’re joking. Here are some pointers on how to be hilarious while remaining professional:

• Keep content PG to PG13
• Make it clear you’re joking by using emojis or laughing at your own jokes
• Be lighthearted
• Don’t ever poke fun at anyone else or make a joke at someone’s expense

In crafting out-of-office messages, it’s crucial to adhere to both company policies and legal guidelines. Ensuring humor remains appropriate and respectful is paramount. Not only does this maintain professionalism, but it also safeguards against potential misunderstandings or offenses. By aligning your messages with established rules, you can strike a balance between humor and propriety, making your out-of-office responses enjoyable without compromising corporate standards.

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By Leslie Radford

Ruben Duarte

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