Ever been caught off guard when you need to step away from work? We all have those moments. A day off, a vacation, or maybe just stepping out for a few hours. The thing is, people still try to reach you. And without a heads-up, they might think you’re just ignoring them.
That’s where a good out-of-office message comes in. It tells people what’s up without you having to say it over and over. It keeps things moving along while you’re away. But sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what to say. You want to sound right—not too stiff, not too casual.
Sample ‘Out of Office’ Text Messages
Here’s a bunch of messages you can use when you need to step away. Pick one that fits your situation or change it up to make it your own.
1. The Simple Notice
“I’m away from my desk until March 15. For urgent help, please contact Sam at sam@company.com.”
2. The Vacation Alert
“Soaking up some sun until August 3! I won’t be checking messages. For help with projects, reach out to the team at team@company.com.”
3. The Time-Zone Traveler
“I’m in London this week! Due to the time difference, my replies may come at odd hours. For quick answers, Jamie can help at ext. 302.”
4. The Part-Day Notice
“In meetings all morning. Back at my desk after 2 PM. If it’s urgent, text me at 555-1234.”
5. The Sick Day
“Taking a sick day today. I’ll catch up on messages when I’m feeling better. For pressing matters, please loop in Alex.”
6. The Family Time
“Spending the day with family. Back online tomorrow. For urgent issues, call the main office at 555-9876.”
7. The Conference Goer
“At the Tech Summit until Friday! My access to messages will be limited. Pat is covering for me—contact pat@company.com.”
8. The Brief Break
“Stepping out for an hour. Back around 3 PM. Leave a message and I’ll call you when I return.”
9. The Training Session
“In training all day. I’ll check messages during breaks. For urgent help, the support team is at ext. 400.”
10. The Doctor’s Visit
“At a medical appointment this afternoon. Will respond to all messages by end of day tomorrow. For urgent needs, please call the front desk.”
11. The Detailed Delegate
“Away until June 10. Jordan is handling client questions (jordan@company.com), and Kelly is managing team needs (kelly@company.com). Thanks for your patience!”
12. The After-Hours Boundary
“It’s after 6 PM my time. I’ve logged off for family time. I’ll respond to all messages first thing tomorrow morning.”
13. The Limited Access Warning
“I’m in a remote area with spotty cell service until Monday. Will catch up on all messages when I return to civilization!”
14. The New Parent
“On parental leave until May. For project questions, contact my team lead at lead@company.com. All other matters will be addressed upon my return.”
15. The Lunch Break
“Out for lunch. Back in 30 minutes. Feel free to leave a message, and I’ll get back to you soon.”
16. The Half-Day Off
“Taking the afternoon off. Back in the office tomorrow morning. For urgent matters, please contact the main line at 555-7890.”
17. The Jury Duty
“On jury duty this week with limited access to messages. For time-sensitive matters, please contact my manager at manager@company.com.”
18. The Moving Day
“Moving to a new home today and tomorrow. Limited availability. Back to regular hours on Monday. For urgent needs, text 555-1234.”
19. The Holiday Notice
“Enjoying the holiday weekend! Back online Tuesday. For urgent support, the on-call team can be reached at oncall@company.com.”
20. The Tech Issues Alert
“Having computer problems this morning. Technicians are working on it. Please call my desk phone if you need to reach me right away.”
21. The Friendly Reminder
“Hello! I’m out hiking in the mountains this weekend. No phone signal up there! Back to messages on Monday. Riley can help with anything pressing: riley@company.com.”
22. The Personal Day
“Taking a personal day to recharge. Not checking messages until tomorrow. The team has things covered—contact support@company.com if needed.”
23. The Work Trip
“In Dallas for client meetings all week. Response times may be slow. For project updates, check our shared folder or ask Dana.”
24. The Study Time
“Taking the afternoon for focused study time. Will check messages after 5 PM. Call the office line for immediate assistance.”
25. The Weekend Warrior
“It’s the weekend! Taking time with my family. I’ll review all messages Monday morning. Enjoy your weekend too!”
26. The Event Coordinator
“Running our company event today. Very limited access to messages. For event questions, I’m at booth #12. All other matters, please contact the office.”
27. The Short and Sweet
“Out today. Back tomorrow. Call 555-5555 if urgent.”
28. The Respectful Religious Holiday
“Observing a religious holiday until sunset tomorrow. Will respond to all messages afterward. Thank you for your understanding.”
29. The Mental Health Day
“Taking a day off to rest. Will catch up on messages tomorrow. For pressing matters, please contact anyone on our team.”
30. The Power Outage
“Area power outage affecting internet access. Working from my phone only. For document needs, please check our shared drive.”
31. The Car Trouble
“Car trouble this morning. Working remotely and should be online within the hour. Call my cell for urgent matters.”
32. The Family Emergency
“Away due to a family matter. Will check messages when possible. Morgan is helping with my workload and can be reached at ext. 123.”
33. The Child Care Gap
“School closed today. Working from home with limited availability between 9-11 AM and 2-4 PM. Best way to reach me is by text.”
34. The Service Day
“Volunteering with my team today. Limited access to messages until tomorrow. The front desk can assist with urgent matters.”
35. The Weather Alert
“Working from home due to the snow storm. Internet may be spotty. Best to reach me by phone today if it’s urgent.”
36. The Focused Work Period
“Setting aside 1-3 PM daily for focused work. I check messages before and after this time. For urgent matters during this window, please call instead of texting.”
37. The Flight Mode
“On a flight until 8 PM tonight. Will be offline completely. All questions about the Johnson project can go to Terry until I land.”
38. The Do Not Disturb
“Taking a full digital break this weekend for my mental health. Will not be checking any messages until Monday morning. All systems are monitored by the on-call team.”
39. The Team Building Day
“Our whole department is at team building today. None of us will have our phones! The main office can handle any emergencies at 555-2000.”
40. The Bereavement Leave
“Away on bereavement leave until next Thursday. I truly appreciate your understanding during this difficult time. Please direct all matters to my supervisor at supervisor@company.com.”
41. The Home Repair Emergency
“Dealing with a broken pipe at home today. Working remotely when possible between plumber visits. Best reached by phone for urgent issues.”
42. The Last-Minute Coverage
“Called away unexpectedly this afternoon. Robin has my files and can help with anything time-sensitive: robin@company.com or ext. 432.”
43. The School Event
“At my child’s school performance until noon. Will respond to all messages when I return. Thanks for your patience!”
44. The Interview Process
“Conducting interviews all day. Will be checking messages during short breaks. For immediate assistance, the front desk can direct your call.”
45. The Equipment Upgrade
“Getting my computer upgraded today. Limited to phone access only until tomorrow. Please call instead of emailing for faster response.”
46. The Off-Grid Retreat
“Attending an off-grid leadership retreat Tuesday through Friday. No phone or email access. All client matters are being handled by the support team.”
47. The Time-Blocking Schedule
“I check and respond to messages at 10 AM and 3 PM daily. Outside these times, I’m focused on project work. For truly urgent matters, please mark your message as High Priority.”
48. The Home Office Setup
“Setting up my home office today after a move. Online sporadically. Back to full availability tomorrow morning at 9 AM.”
49. The Pet Emergency
“Taking my pet to an emergency vet visit. Will be back online when possible. Please contact Avery for anything that can’t wait.”
50. The Study Leave
“On study leave for professional exams until next Monday. Checking messages once daily in the evening. Jesse is covering my usual duties: jesse@company.com.”
51. The Childcare Shuffle
“Unexpectedly without childcare today. Working with interruptions and limited availability. Best to text for quick questions, otherwise I’ll catch up on emails tonight.”
52. The Funeral Attendance
“Attending a funeral today. I’ll respond to messages tomorrow. Please respect this personal time. For urgent business matters, contact the main office.”
53. The Reduced Hours
“Working reduced hours this week: 9 AM – 1 PM daily. Will respond to all messages during those hours only. Thank you for understanding.”
54. The Technical Difficulties
“My phone screen broke this morning. Can make calls but can’t see or send texts until it’s fixed later today. Please call if needed.”
55. The Community Service
“Participating in community service with limited cell reception until 4 PM. Will return all messages this evening.”
56. The Temporary Role Change
“Filling in for the front desk today. Limited ability to check messages. Back to regular duties tomorrow morning.”
57. The Household Emergency
“Dealing with a household emergency today. Working remotely when possible. For time-sensitive matters, please call rather than text.”
58. The Battery Saving Mode
“My phone battery is nearly dead with no charger nearby. Will be offline until I get back to the office around 3 PM.”
59. The Guest Speaker
“Speaking at an industry event all day. Messages will be returned tomorrow morning. For media inquiries, please contact our PR team at pr@company.com.”
60. The Think Tank Session
“In a think tank session with the product team all day. Phones collected at the door! Any client emergencies, please contact client services at support@company.com.”
Wrapping Up
Setting up a clear message when you’re away shows you care about staying connected. It tells people when to expect a reply and who else can help. This small step saves everyone stress and keeps work flowing smoothly.
When writing your message, keep it brief but give the key facts—when you’ll be back and who to contact if it can’t wait. A good out-of-office note means you can truly step away knowing things won’t fall apart in your absence.
Next time you need to step away, pick one of these messages, change it to fit your needs, and go enjoy your time off with one less worry on your mind.