Out-of-Office Voicemail Greeting Examples & Generator

Vacation, sick leave, conferences, sabbaticals — set clear expectations so callers know exactly when you'll be back.

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Out-of-office greeting

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You've reached Weston Ferrall. I'm out of the office until Monday the fourteenth with limited access to messages. For anything urgent, please contact my colleague Dana on extension two-two-four. Otherwise, leave a message and I'll come back to you when I return.

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What every Out-of-Office greeting should mention

Return date — concrete, not "soon"
Backup contact — name + email + phone
What kinds of issues to escalate — "anything urgent" or specific scenarios

What you'll do on return — respond in order received, prioritize by urgency, etc.
How to leave a message — keep it short, name + number + reason

Vacation — solo professional

Hi, you've reached [Name]. I'm on vacation through [date] with limited access to messages. For anything urgent before then, please contact [colleague] at [email]. Otherwise, leave a message and I'll respond when I return on [reopen date].

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Vacation — friendly

Thanks for calling. I'm taking a short break and will be back at my desk on [date]. For urgent matters, please reach out to [colleague]. Otherwise, leave a message and I'll get back to you when I return.

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Conference / off-site

You've reached [Name] at [Company]. I'm at [conference name] this week with limited phone access. I'll respond to messages each evening. For anything time-sensitive, email [email] or contact [colleague] at [phone].

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Sick leave

Hi, this is [Name] at [Company]. I'm out today and will return on [date]. For anything urgent, please contact [colleague] at [email]. Otherwise, leave a message and I'll respond when I'm back.

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Extended sick / medical

You've reached [Name]. I'm out of office for an extended period and won't be able to return calls until [date]. During my absence, please contact [colleague] at [email] for all matters related to my work.

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Parental leave

Thank you for calling. I'm on parental leave through [date]. While I'm out, please contact [colleague] at [email] for anything related to my accounts. I'll respond to non-urgent messages when I return.

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Sabbatical

You've reached [Name] at [Company]. I'm on sabbatical through [date]. During this time, [colleague] is covering my accounts and can be reached at [email]. I'll respond to messages on my return.

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Bereavement

Hi, this is [Name]. I'm out of office for a few days. For anything urgent, please contact [colleague] at [email]. Otherwise, leave a message and I'll respond when I'm back.

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Long weekend

Thanks for calling. I'm off through [day], back in the office at 9 a.m. [day after]. For urgent matters, please email [email]. Otherwise, leave a message and I'll get back to you Monday morning.

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No backup contact

You've reached [Name]. I'm out of office through [date] and will respond to messages when I return. For time-sensitive matters, please email [email] — I'll check it once a day during my absence.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes — for vacation, conferences and known absences. Always check with the colleague first that they're happy to be the contact during that period.

State the duration ("through July 18"), not the reason. "On vacation", "at a conference" or "out of office" is enough — callers don't need medical or personal details.

No. One greeting that covers the full absence is fine. Just make sure the return date is correct.

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