Crafting the Perfect Sick Out of Office Message: A Guide for Relatable Yet Professional Auto-Replies

If you’re feeling under the weather and know that coming to work will only make you feel worse, taking a sick day to rest and recover is perfectly fine. Once you decide that you won’t be able to go to the office due to sickness, you must immediately inform your manager and colleagues about it.

Getting sick is never fun. Between feeling lousy and falling behind on work the last thing you want to worry about is continually responding to emails and messages. That’s where setting up an out of office notification can save the day. With a well-crafted sick day out of office message, you can focus on feeling better while politely informing colleagues and contacts of your absence.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore how to craft effective yet professional out of office messages for when you’re under the weather. You’ll learn tips to share the right details, set proper expectations, and even add a human touch to your auto-reply. Follow our format examples and best practices to create emails and notifications your recipients will appreciate.

Why You Need a Sick Day Out of Office Message

There are several benefits to setting up an out of office message for sick leave

Lets contacts know you’re unavailable to reply and provides details on when you’ll return. This manages expectations.
Minimizes distractions so you can rest and recover. You won’t feel pressure to continually check and respond to messages.
Provides an alternate contact person for urgent matters requiring immediate assistance in your absence.
Keeps communication professional and seamless even when you’re away.
Allows you to focus solely on feeling better instead of worrying about work.

Bottom line: A sick day out of office message keeps everyone in the loop so you can prioritize your health.

How to Craft a Polite Yet Professional Sick Day Message

When creating your sick leave auto-reply, follow these best practices:

Keep it Simple and Concise

State you’re out sick and when you plan to return. Example: “I’m out of the office today with an illness. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Avoid excessive detail about your diagnosis or symptoms. All they need to know is you’re sick.

Provide an Alternate Contact

Include a colleague’s name, email, and possibly phone number for immediate needs.

Set Communication Expectations

Note if and when you’ll have email access to set realistic reply expectations. Example: “I will respond to messages when I return on Monday.”

Use a Professional but Friendly Tone

Warm yet professional wording comes across better than stiff, corporate speak.
You can say you’ll “be back on your feet before you know it!” versus “return to optimal productivity levels.”

Thank Them for Understanding

A simple “Thanks for your patience!” goes a long way.

Proofread Before Sending

Double check names, dates, and contact info before activating your message.

Formatting Tips for Visually Appealing Sick Day Messages

Make your auto-reply easy to read and digest with these formatting best practices:

Use bullet points to break up long blocks of text.
Bold key details like your return date and alternate contact name.
Keep paragraphs brief instead of long blocks.
Place critical info like an alternate contact at the top.
Send a test message to check formatting and delivery before sending.

Personalization Tips for A Warm, Human Touch

While professionalism is key, you can also inject some relatable humanity into your sick day message with these tips:

Write it more as you speak to add natural warmth. Use “I” instead of “the undersigned” for example.
Add a relevant emoji if it fits your company culture, such as a thermometer or sick face emoji.
Share generic well wishes like “Wishing everyone a healthy week ahead!”
Use your regular sign-off or closing signature line after your name.

Sample Sick Day Out of Office Message Templates

Review these sick leave auto-reply examples to help craft your own:

1. Standard Brief Sick Day OOO Message

Hi there, I'm out sick today and plan to be back in the office tomorrow. For anything urgent, please contact Jane Smith at [email protected].  Thanks,John Doe

This gets straight to the point. It’s short, direct, and provides an alternate contact.

2. Warm and Friendly Detailed Sick Day OOO Message

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Good morning! I've come down with the flu and will be spending the day resting at home. I likely won't have email access until I'm back on my feet tomorrow. If you need any assistance while I'm out, please don't hesitate to reach out to Jane Smith at [email protected] or 123-456-7890.I appreciate your patience and understanding. Wishing everyone good health!Regards,John Doe

This provides details up front, accessible alternate contacts, gratitude, and a warm human touch while remaining professional.

3. Humorous Yet Informative Sick Day OOO Message

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Hello there,I seem to have caught a bug going around the office (though not the computer kind fortunately!). I'll be recovering at home today and should be up and running again by tomorrow. While I'm wrapped in a cozy blanket binge watching shows, feel free to contact Jane Smith at [email protected] for any immediate needs. She's got you covered!Thanks for your patience. Here's hoping this passes quickly!Sincerely,John DoeP.S. Doctor's orders are drinks lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. I don't plan to disappoint!

This adds some appropriate humor on the situation while still providing the necessary info.

Key Takeaways for Crafting Outstanding Sick Day OOO Messages

State you’re out sick and when you’ll return. Don’t share medical details.
Provide an alternate contact for urgent needs.
Set clear expectations on response time.
Use a warm yet professional tone.
Thank them for their patience.
Proofread before sending.
Add light personalization if it fits your culture.
Use formatting for visual appeal and readability.

Modifying Your Message for Varying Recipients

While your core sick day OOO message should be professional across the board, you may want to slightly customize external communications depending on who will receive it:

Internal Recipients

For colleagues, be sure to include:

Any planned interim email access while out. They’ll want to know.
Well wishes for good health across your team.
Light humor if appropriate. They’ll appreciate your personality.

External Recipients

For external contacts like customers and partners, consider:

Removing humor or informal language. Keep it more formal.
Providing a general company email or phone number for assistance rather than listing a direct colleague.
Omitting details about internal policies and procedures.
Removing any mentions of specific symptoms or illness details.

Handling Longer Absences

If you’re out sick for an extended period of time:

Provide a more general return timeline, like “Return Expected: Week of 1/23” if exact date is unknown.
Consider having an admin or colleague monitor and triage your email, sending any urgent items to the right people.
Update your message if your expected return changes.
Set an end date in advance if possible to turn off auto-replies when back.

Activating Your Sick Day Out of Office Message

Once you’ve crafted your sick leave OOO message, enable it using your email platform’s out of office auto-reply settings. Here are some options:

Outlook: File > Automatic Replies > enter dates and message.
Gmail: Click gear icon > See all settings > Accounts and Import > Add out of office autoreply.
Google Chat: In status menu, select Set a status message.
Slack: In status menu, click Set a status.
Teams: Select your profile pic > Change status > Be right back or Out of office.

Enable your message before you unplug for the day. And remember to disable it as soon as you return! No one wants to hear you’re out sick when you’re back.

Use Sick Day OOO Messages to Focus on Feeling Better

There’s no avoiding getting sick sometimes. But using sick day out of office messages allows you to still communicate your absence professionally while taking time to prioritize rest and recovery.

With this guide, you have the tips and examples to craft auto-reply emails, chat statuses, and more to set expectations and provide alternate contacts when illness strikes.

So don’t feel guilty about taking a sick day once in a while. Just be sure to enable a friendly, human yet polished out of office message beforehand so you can sleep soundly knowing emails can wait until you’re well. Spend your downtime replenishing so you can return brighter and more productive than ever.

Basic Sick Leave Sample

If you need a long recovery time or are uncertain about your date of return to work, you can use the following sick out-of-office message template.

Out-of-office Sick Message Auto-reply Templates

If you cannot check your emails while you are sick, it is best to set up an automated out-of-office message. Here are some templates for you.

How to Set Out of Office in Outlook

How do I add an out of office message for sick leave?

The out of office message for sick leave can be added to Outlook, Gmail, and all other email apps. 1. Thank you for your message! I’m out of the office due to the fact that I’m sick. I will check my email when I have the opportunity. If there’s something urgent you can reach out to (YOUR COLLEAGUE EMAIL). 2. Thanks for your message!

Should you send a sick out-of-office message?

When you’re feeling under the weather and need to take time off work due to illness, it’s essential to set up an out-of-office message to inform colleagues and clients of your absence. A well-crafted sick out-of-office message not only communicates your unavailability but also provides reassurance and guidance on alternative points of contact.

What makes a good sick out-of-office message?

Remember, the key to a good sick out-of-office message is giving the necessary info while staying professional and respecting your privacy. When you include these points, you make sure everyone knows you’re away, things are in good hands, and your return goes smoothly.

Why are out-of-Office Notifications important when on sick leave?

Out-of-office notifications are not just important when you are on sick leave; there are many reasons, like conferences or vacations, to set up the autoresponder or even a wellness OOO email.