As you prepare for parental leave, one of the items on your to-do list should be setting up your out of office email message. It’s one of those important yet easy-to-forget tasks that can make a big difference on your last day. These email templates cover the key aspects you’ll need to include in your message.
Do you know what to include in your out of office message as you head off to begin parental leave?
For many expecting parents, finishing up at work before parental leave is a mad rush to the finish line. Getting buried under gifts, well wishes, and last-minute tasks can leave you feeling frazzled and stressed. While it can be hugely exciting, it can also be a time of frustration if you’re struggling to fit in everything you want to.
Too many out of office messages have been frantically written at 5pm as you’re trying to get out the door. You throw a few words together, only to find yourself logging on the following week to update it with more thought. But it’s one of the many tasks you can tackle ahead of time to decrease stress during your final days on the job.
Your message needs thoughtful consideration, and, depending on your work environment, you can either have fun with it or keep it more formal in tone.
Essentially, your out of office message needs to include a few important details:
1. Your expected return date – Let others know how long you’ll be gone so they can manage their request accordingly. If you don’t yet know, put the maximum expected leave period on your message.
2. Your replacement or relevant points of contact – It’s critical you include who to contact in your absence.
3. Your communication boundaries and how you plan to manage your emails – Don’t be afraid to set boundaries and be clear about how you will be managing your emails. If you plan to switch off, then don’t be afraid to say, “During this time I won’t have access to my emails”. If you will be checking occasionally then, again, set clear expectations.
We would have loved a template to use on our journey and it’s something we get asked for a lot. So, we’ve crafted a few below that might help you. Feel free to cut, paste and make it your own. What’s even better, you can use the following templates no matter if you are a dad going to your paternity leave or a mom checking out for her maternity leave.
Discover three out of office parental leave message examples below
For the parent who wants to totally disconnect
Hi there
Thank you for your email. I am out of the office on parental leave commencing [insert start date] and plan to return [insert end date].
For all enquiries and assistance, please contact [insert name] on [insert number] or [insert email].
During this time, I won’t have access to my email. For all personal matters, please do not hesitate to contact me at [insert personal email].
Kind regards
For the parent who wants to stay connected
Hi there
Thank you for your email. I am out of the office on parental leave commencing [insert start date] and plan to return [insert end date].
I will be checking emails on a weekly basis, so will respond when I am next online. If your matter is urgent and requires an immediate response, then please contact [insert name] on [insert number] or [email].
For all personal emails, I am contactable on my personal email [insert personal email].
Look forward to seeing you in [insert end month and year].
Kind regards
For the casual workplace
Hi there
I am super excited to be welcoming our first child into the world and will be commencing parental leave from [insert start date].
I plan to be kept busy by this little one, so won’t have access to my emails. For all enquiries and assistance, please contact [insert name] on [insert number] or [insert email].
For all personal emails, I can be contacted on [insert personal email].
If you would like to follow my journey and look at hundreds of super cute baby photos, join me on Instagram @[insert handle].
See you next [insert month].
If you found this helpful, here’s an out of office message customized for dads!
Written by the Circle In team.
