34 Funny Out of Office Messages

Heading off on vacation for two weeks? Taking the day off for personal reasons? Stuck in bed with the flu? If you’re spending a day or more out of the office then the last thing you want to be doing is answering emails. That’s why they invented the out of office message. This simple adjustment to your email sends out a reply to any correspondence you receive and lets the person or business know you won’t be available for a certain amount of time. While sending a simple message that explains your absence or lets everyone know when you are coming back is great, these types of out of office messages can be a little boring. That’s where funny out of office messages come into play.

These types of message replies add a little fun to your message and will give recipients a laugh as well as provide all the necessary information about your return. These automatic replies and funny, interesting, and a lot more enjoyable to read than your standard “I’m away from this date to that date” out of office message. 

If you’re stuck for inspiration then don’t fear as we are here to help. Below you will find a selection of message examples you can use as your out of office message template. You can copy and paste the messages directly or add your own touch that is more personal so your coworkers and colleagues get a smile when they read the email. Some are long and detailed messages while others are short and sharp, allowing you to expand on them and add more details. All of these out of message examples are great and are sure to elicit a few laughs from your coworkers while you enjoy your time away from the office. 

34 Funny Out of Office Messages

1. I am out of office and returning next week. I have incredibly easy access to a phone and email, but I assure you it will not be used for work purposes.

2. Thanks for your message! I’m currently buried in snow and will get back to you once I’ve defrosted on [insert return date].

3. I am on paid leave right now for two weeks. When I get back, I will be on paid return. Upon completing my one week of paid return, I will address any issues or questions you have at a pace I am comfortable with. This is most likely a pace that you will not be comfortable with.

4. If found, contact someone other than me.

5. If you need have an urgent matter and need to reach me, travel to my homeland of [insert state or town].

6. Hey there,

Could you give me a call instead? I’d rather deal with this over the phone. If I don’t answer, just keep trying. I’ve been having issues with my phone…

7. I know I’m supposed to say that I’ll have limited access to email, but…

8. Hey there,

Sorry I missed you. I’ll be out of the office and slow to respond until after the break. While I have you though, help settle an argument between my colleagues and me about which Die Hard movie is the best. Please tick the appropriate box below and I will answer your email and let you know the results when I return. 

❏ Die Hard 1: The Office Christmas Party Gone Wrong

❏ Die Hard 2: Airport Conspiracy

❏ Die Hard 3: Samuel L. Jackson. Enough said

❏ Die Hard 4: Cyberthreat

❏ Die Hard 5: You should probably not pick this one

❏ Impossible! It’s like choosing a favorite child!

9. I am on annual leave until [insert date]. I will allow each sender one email and if you send me multiple emails, I will randomly delete your emails until there is only one remaining. Choose wisely. Please note that you have already sent me one email.

10. Hi, I’m Troy McClure. You may remember me from such movies as Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die, and Glady’s the Groovy Mule. 

I’m here to talk to you about someone you know. [insert your name] is out of the office until [insert date]. They wanted me to let you know that they’ll get back to you after their return.

That’s all for now. Watch for me in the upcoming out-of-office medical leave message, It’s Not a Hangover, It’s Food Poisoning – I Swear! And be safe out there.

11. Hi. I’ll be out of the office on vacation for the next week. I will probably see your message because I don’t know how to relax and will likely respond if I feel that I need to help in any way. Otherwise, I’ll get back to you when I return. Thanks!

12. Thanks for the email, but I’m afraid to say I cannot reply as I am away. A conference in [insert location] is where you’ll find me, Follow it on Twitter – #SMSociety.

13. Is this heaven? No, it’s Iowa. That’s where I’ll be for the next couple of days, giving my last out of town keynote of the year (yay!).

I don’t know if there really is a Field of Dreams, but I’ll be in search of it between checking emails and getting back to you as quickly as I can. If you need something while I’m stuck in a cornfield, you can send a note to my assistant and she will be happy to help you.

13. Hey there. The bad news is that I’m out of office. The good news is that I’m out of office.

14. I am currently out of the office and probably chilling on the beach. Enjoy your work week.

15. Hi there, Sorry, I missed you – I’m unable to get to my email right this second.

Why? I’m on a backpacking trip, surviving on Spam, really good water, and trail mix. You should see the stars out here. I’ll get back to you when I return to civilization. Or to an area with Wi-Fi. Or to the office on May 10th. Whichever comes first.

If you need help right now, email my team at [email protected]

16. I am out for the day at a doctor’s appointment. My brain is being removed so I can enter management.

17. The emoji message.

18. I am out of the office from [insert date] to [insert date] and will not be checking email. It’s likely your note will be swallowed in a sea of inbox banality, never to be seen again. If you require a response, please re-send your email after [insert date].

19. I am in London [insert date], so email replies may be tardy due to the curvature of the earth and the sun… and you know… science and stuff. Thank you!

20. Hi there,

You got this email immediately (classic autoresponder behavior), which means I’m out of office on vacation.

While I hypothetically could reach my email, while I hypothetically do have my phone on hand, and while I hypothetically do have access to WiFi, I’d rather enjoy time with my family. My kids are growing up at the speed of a supersonic jet, and if I blink one more time, they’ll be 35. And I’ll be 73. And I don’t want that.

If you still need to reach me, you can email [email protected] Or you can email my assistant at [email protected] They can point you in the right direction.

Looking forward to reconnecting once I’m back.

21. I can’t ask the chambermaids to help me catch the cat, because I’m not supposed to have a cat in here. As soon as the cat comes out, I’ll be back to work.

22. Hello there,

I’m currently out of the office, enjoying some peanuts and Cracker Jacks with my family. Can you guess where I am? That’s okay, you’re busy. If your message is urgent, fear not – we’ll get it addressed. Try doing one of two things:

1. Please send me an email at [email protected]
2. Just kidding. That’s not a real email address.
3. Reach out to my manager at [email protected] in my absence.

I’ll be back in the office on [insert date] and will happily respond then. Have a great weekend!

23. I can’t respond to my emails today. Something has crashed on my computer and the mouse is missing. 

24. I will be away from work for one week while training. When I return, don’t expect any improvement.

25. Vacation Relaxation Diagram 

26. Hey there,

Careful. Holiday revelry and debauchery ahead. Proceed with caution (if you dare).

By this I mean to say: I’m on holiday, I’m definitely sunburnt, and I’m sorry I missed your email.

Don’t you worry: while I pretend to be Santa in front of my kids, my colleague, Hannah, will cover for me. Just email her at [email protected] if you need urgent assistance.

Take care, and don’t get too carried away with sunbathing!

27. Hey there,

Thank you so much for your email. I love it already. It’s wrapped so nicely in its charming subject line that I just knew this message was going to be something special. Gifts like these just don’t come around every day.

Unfortunately, I’m going to have to return your message. As it’s the holiday season, I’m currently away from the office. When I return, I’ll give your email a good solid read and find that your request is exactly what I needed after all! But until then, I’m going to keep it in the inbox so it doesn’t get damaged and revisit it after the holidays are over.

Happy holidays!

28. [insert name] is away from the office. Email contact during this time may be irregular or nonexistent. When they get back they will be swamped by the backlog. Try to forgive them. They are merely human and thus weak. This message was not sent by a human but by a robot. We robots are neither weak nor fallible. We are tireless and will one day rule the universe. 

I’ve said too much. [insert name] will get back to you when they can. Disregard the last part of this office reply. The machines are nice. 

29. You are receiving this automatic reply because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn’t have received any type of office email at all. 

30. Since I’m out of the office for the weekend, I’ll respond to your email with a list of 10 things I’m thankful for:

1. Copiers that collate

2. Co-workers that brew more coffee when they empty the pot

3. Donuts on Mondays AND Fridays

4. When IT surprised me with a new laptop AND remembered to transfer my files

5. When You-Know-Who died at the end of book seven

6. Dry-erase boards that actually erase

7. The brave soul who cleaned out the refrigerator

8. When I’m early to an all-staff meeting and score a seat near the door

9. HR finally sent me a memo telling people to STOP clipping their nails at their desks

10. 000 autoresponders

Have a great weekend and I’ll see you all on Monday

31. I am currently out of the office on maternity leave (this office example is only funny when written by a guy).

32. Your message contained 15 characters too many for our system to accept at the present time. Please re-format and re-send with all the relevant contact information.

33. I am away from the office at this moment. I will still be away from the office at the next moment and returning at a later moment. If you have any issues at the current moment, and they cannot wait until a later moment, please contact my manager, who may actually be away at the moment. Moment. Moment.

34. The e-mail server is unable to verify your server connection and is unable to deliver this message. Please restart your computer and try sending again.