Templates for absence notes to copy
You can copy our out-of-office message templates for free here:
#1 All-rounder, you can't go wrong with it
Brief absence note without information
Out-of-office messages during your vacation
Professional / external
Storage / internal
Out of office messages during an illness
Professional / external
Storage / internal
Out of office messages during a training course
Professional / external
Storage / internal
Tips for the out-of-office message
-
**Clarity on the duration of absence: **Specify the exact period during which you will be unreachable.
-
Designate a representative: Provide the contact details of a person who can assist during your absence.
-
Unnecessary information: Omit personal details or information that is not relevant, for example, if the exact reason for your absence is not important to the reader.
-
Spelling error: Double-check the note before saving to avoid mistakes.
-
Link to the calendar: Schedule time away directly in Outlook so colleagues can see the status in the shared calendar as well.
**Additional tip: **Outlook does not offer a function for types of absence, not even for internal use. If you want to communicate more clearly within your team why certain colleagues are not present, absentify can help you.
Record in absentia all relevant reasons for absences in your team. This way, everyone is better informed and you prevent misunderstandings.
All types of absences directly in Microsoft Outlook with absentify
Start for free now
No credit card required—enjoy unlimited access with our free plan. You can upgrade or cancel anytime.
Would you like to simplify your absence management?
- No credit card required
- Unlimited free access
- Upgrade or cancel anytime
Out of Office Message Template – Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
About the author
Anna Keller
Content manager at absentify
As a blog author at absentify, Anna Keller explains how companies can efficiently manage absences, vacations, and working hours. In her articles, she combines HR practice with Microsoft 365 tips for Outlook and Teams and provides templates, step-by-step instructions, and software comparisons for modern, digital processes.
Share article
More interesting articles
Teams Approvals: how to set them up and integrate them | absentify
Teams Approvals lets you sign off on requests or workflows directly inside Microsoft Teams. The Approvals app documents every request, notifies the approver and captures each intermediate step along the way.
Anna Keller
Content manager at absentify
Leave management & GDPR: what to know in 2026 | absentify
Every employer is responsible for ensuring that leave management complies with the GDPR. Leave requests, remaining holiday balances and absence overviews all contain personal data and fall fully within the scope of data protection law. Where a controller breaches the GDPR, the regulation provides for fines of up to EUR 20 million or 4 % of global annual turnover.
Anna Keller
Content manager at absentify
HR metrics: which ones matter and how to calculate them | absentify
HR metrics are measurable indicators that form the basis for far-reaching decisions made by the people function. They show how healthy, stable and productive the workforce is. With the EU Pay Transparency Directive and digital record-keeping obligations, certain metrics will become mandatory to report from 2026.
Anna Keller
Content manager at absentify