41 Funny Out-of-Office Messages
Chances are this time of year, you’re thinking about taking some vacation time. At the very least, you’ll be out on holiday for a day or two. And once again, you’ll be thinking about what should I put as my out-of-office message. And should I make a funny one for internal contacts that email me?
Lucky for you, every year around this time I like to update my list of funniest out-of-office messages that I’ve seen. Enjoy!
Subject: Out of Office: At the Inquisition
I’m currently at our family inquisition, otherwise known as Thanksgiving answering questions about whether I gained weight and how my dating life is going. If you need me, please send prayers for my safe return along with the largest bottle of wine you can find. If I survive, I’ll be back in the office on Monday.
Subject: Out of Office: Potty Training
I’m currently out of the office potty training my son. At his expected rate of progress, I will most likely be back in 3 weeks.
Subject: Out of Office: I’m Flattered
I’m out of the office. If this is urgent, first of all, I’m flattered that you thought of me but the person you really want is Tom in HR.
Subject: Out of Office: Emergency Number Below
I’m out of the office but if this is an emergency try calling 911. If it’s not an emergency, I’ll be back on Monday.
Subject: Out of Office: Options
Oh shoot, you need something and I’m unavailable today. Here’s the good news. You have options. Option 1: Wait it out. Ask yourself if this is urgent and important. If it isn’t, take a beat and give me a chance to respond after I dig myself out of my inbox later this week. Option 2: Get help sooner. If you answer yes to the above question, don’t wait. I have a team of competent humans who look out for me and one another. They can help you too. Work with tom@mycompany.com, jill@mycompany.com, or stan@mycompany.com.
Subject: Out of Office: Inferno
I’m out of the office, but if you are stuck in an inferno, skip the line. Is everything burning and only a master of existential threats could help? First, flattered you even contacted me. Second, now get going and contact my supervisor. She is the elusive one you are looking for.
Subject: Out of Office: Updating Prescriptions
I’m currently out of the office recovering from the month-end close and updating my Zoloft prescription before the next close.
Subject: Out of Office: 404 Error
Error: 404 Admin Assistant not found. Please email any scheduling requests. All other forms of communication will be lost in the abyss starting at 4:00 pm on Thursday the 29th until Tuesday the 2nd after 9:00 am (ish) or until I have had 2.5 cups of strongly brewed coffee. If it is urgent, you can speed the process up by having a freshly brewed pot of coffee ready to go by 9 am on Tuesday.
Subject: Out of Office: Defosting
I’m currently out of the office visiting my family in the Tundra known as Chicago. I’ll email you back once I’ve defrosted.
Subject: Out of Office: One Per Person
I will be out of the office until Jan 2. Each person may send me one email while I am gone. If you send more, I will randomly delete emails until only one is left. You have already sent me one email.
Subject: Out of Office: Joining the Circus
I’ve currently run away to join the circus. A different one.
Subject: Out of Office: Away From My Desk
I’m away from my desk at the moment. My cubicle and computer are still here, but someone took my desk. I’ve gone off to look for it.
Subject: Out of Office: Data Rates May Apply
You have been charged $3.99 for the first 10 words of your email and $1.99 for each additional word.
Subject: Out of Office: Christmas Party
I’m currently out of the office enjoying the office Christmas party. I’ll be back once the eggnog wears off and I put away my ugly sweaters.
Subject: Out of Office: Email Disconnected
I’m sorry but the email you’re trying to reach is temporarily disconnected or out of service. If you feel you’ve reached this message in error, please try to email again after 10/19/25.
Subject: Out of Office: Limited Access to Email
I am currently out of the office and have limited access to email. Okay, it’s not the Stone Age, I have full access to my email. It’s not that I have limited access to emails. It’s that my email has limited access to me.
Subject: Out of Office: Urgent Matters Only
I am currently on vacation. If this is urgent please resend your email to interruptmyvacation@company.com and I’ll try to respond in between Mai Tais. If you think someone else might be able to help you, feel free to email Bob at bob@company.com and he’ll point you in the right direction. My vacation is in your hands.
Subject: Out of Office: Instructions for Finding This Message
I’m currently away from my desk. If you find this message (well or not well), please contact someone other than me.
Subject: Out of Office: Where to Find Me
I’m out of the office. If this is urgent and you need me, I’ll be on a beach in Cabo. Please feel free to book a flight and find me. Otherwise, I’ll be back on Monday.
Subject: Out of Office: Try Someone Else
I’m out of the office. If you need immediate assistance, here are three people who probably know what they’re doing. If they don’t, I’ll be back soon.
Subject: Out of Office: Why Are You Working
I’m away from my desk right now. The question is, why aren’t you? I’ll be back Monday, after the holiday.
Subject: Out of Office: Follow the Trail
I’m currently out of the office but don’t worry, I’ve left a trail of crumbs behind me in case you need to find me. I‘m just kidding, that would be creepy if you followed me. I’ll be back soon.
Subject: Out of Office: Secret Mission
I’m out of the office right now on a secret mission. I can’t say much but it involves a beach, a cocktail, and absolutely no emails. I’ll get back to you when I’ve completed my relaxation tasks.
Subject: Out of Office: Skill Building
I’m away from my desk right now working on perfecting my wine tasting technique. I’ll be back to reality on Monday. Until then, feel free to email me, but I can’t promise a prompt response unless you’re offering more wine.
Subject: Out of Office: Battery Low
Out of the office for the next few days. I’m busy recharging my human battery and will be back once I reach 100%. Please leave a message after the beep… if you’re still into emails after reading that.
Subject: Out of the Office: Attending a Workshop
I’m out of the office today attending a “How to be more productive workshop” which I’m sure I’ll forget about by the time I return. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can remember what I was doing when I left.
Subject: Out of the Office: Vacation
I’m on vacation, probably getting sunburnt or losing my glasses at the beach. I’ll be back on Tuesday, and no, no I won’t be checking email because that would defeat the purpose of a vacation.
Subject: Out of Office: Try the Person Next to You
I’m currently out of the office living my best life. If you need immediate assistance, I’m sure the person sitting next to you can help - unless they’re on vacation too.
Subject: Out of Office: Doing Nothing
I’m away from my desk right now. I’m not ignoring you. I’m just giving myself some ‘me’ time to do absolutely nothing. I’ll respond when I remember what day it is.
Subject: Out of Office: Into the Wild
I’m out of the office on a safari. Okay, not really, I’m probably at home binging a Netflix series about safaris. But I’ll be back on Thursday and ready to tackle whatever you need. Unless I’m still recovering from my safari-watching marathon.
Subject: Out of Office: Don’t You Wish You Were Too
I’m out of the office probably having a more exciting time than you right now. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you when I’m done living my best life.
Subject: Out of Office: Finding Myself
Out of office - off to find myself. Luckily I’m in the last place I looked. I’ll be back on Tuesday if I can remember where I left my keys.
Subject: Out of Office: Secret Mission
I’m out of the office on a top-secret mission. Unfortunately, the mission is just me taking a nap. Please leave a message and I’ll respond when I wake up (and remember that I have an email account).
Subject: Out of Office: Email Auto Pilot
I’m out of the office, but don’t worry! My inbox is still working hard without me. I’ll be back on Monday to put it to rest.
Subject: Out of Office: Becoming a Sloth
I’m out of the office embracing my inner sloth. If you need something urgently, please consider contacting a colleague who is more awake than me. I’ll respond when I return, hopefully with less of a coffee dependency.
Subject: Out of Office: Creative Time
I’m on vacation currently cooking up my next witty out-of-office message. Please leave a message and I’ll respond once I’ve come up with some witty one-liners.
Subject: Out of Office: Pardon the Dust
I’m currently out of the office. My email box is under renovation right now. Once the dust settles and my inbox looks new again, I’ll respond to messages.
Subject: Out of Office: Try Screaming
I’m out of the office right now. If this is urgent, please try screaming loudly at your screen. If I hear you, I’ll come back running to assist. If not, I’ll reply when I return on Monday.
Subject: Out of Office: Herding Coworkers
I’m currently away from my desk herding coworkers to finish a project for my boss. Once I’ve got them all back in the pasture, I’ll be ready to respond to your email.
Subject: Out of Office: Contact Pam
I will be out of the office this week. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Pam. She has 6+ years of experience responding to my emails when I’m not available.
Subject: Out of Office: Pretending to Be OOO
I’m out of the office on vacation. I will probably see your message because I have an email addiction, but I probably won’t respond because I don’t want you to think that I work on vacation. But if I do respond, please don’t tell anyone else.
Cole Sperry has been a recruiter and resume writer since 2015, working with tens of thousands of job seekers, and hundreds of employers. Today Cole runs a boutique advisory firm consulting with dozens of recruiting firms and is the Managing Editor at OptimCareers.com.
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