Funny out of office messages
A funny out of office message can make someone's day. A badly judged one gets forwarded to your boss. The ones below are light enough to use at most workplaces, and every one still includes your return date and a backup contact, so it does its job.
Rule of thumb: if a client or a stranger could receive it, pick one from the top half. The bottom half is for internal use.
Funny out of office messages: 10 to copy
1. The honest one
Hi, I'm out of the office until [date], doing absolutely nothing productive, as planned. If it's urgent, [name] at [email] is much more helpful than I am right now anyway. [Your name]
2. The countdown
Thanks for your email! It has been placed in a queue and will be read in the order it was received, roughly [number] emails from now, starting [date]. If it can't wait, try [name] at [email]. [Your name]
3. Wi-Fi free
I'm currently somewhere with terrible Wi-Fi and I've decided that's a feature, not a bug. Back on [date]. For anything urgent: [name], [email]. [Your name]
4. The pet one
I'm out until [date]. My dog has been informed that I'll be home all week and has cleared his schedule. Urgent stuff goes to [name] at [email]. [Your name]
5. The 'delete and resend'
I'm on vacation until [date]. When I'm back I'll be facing a very full inbox, so if your message is still important after that, a quick resend would be lovely. If it's urgent, [name] at [email] can help. [Your name]
6. Parental leave
I'm on parental leave until [date], learning how to function on three hours of sleep. Please contact [name] at [email] for anything work-related. [Your name]
7. Internal only: the superhero
I'm away saving the world until [date]. (Fine, I'm at the beach.) In my absence, [name] has agreed to be the hero this team needs. Find them at [email]. [Your name]
8. Internal only: the riddle
What has two thumbs and isn't reading this email until [date]? This person. Urgent? [name], [email]. [Your name]
9. Internal only: the conference
I'm at [conference] until [date], collecting free pens and attending sessions in that order. For anything urgent, ping [name]. [Your name]
10. Internal only: the holiday
I'm out until [date], on a strict schedule of eating leftovers and pretending I don't have an inbox. [Name] is holding the fort: [email]. [Your name]
When a funny auto-reply is a bad idea
- You work with clients in law, healthcare, finance or government. Stick to professional examples.
- You're on sick leave or bereavement leave. Humor reads strangely there.
- You're job hunting. Recruiters will see it.
- The joke depends on sarcasm. It rarely survives being read by a stranger.
If you're unsure, set a funny message for internal senders and a plain one for external senders. Outlook makes this easy.
Frequently asked questions
Is a funny out of office message unprofessional?
Not by itself. It's unprofessional when it leaves out the useful parts (your return date and backup contact) or when it goes to people who expect formality. Keep the facts in and keep the joke short.
What should a funny out of office message include?
The same as a normal one: your return date and who to contact for urgent things. The humor is the wrapper, not the content.