General Tips and Considerations
Include the names/addresses of alternate contacts who can handle a sender's request if it is urgent. If you are including multiple alternative contacts, it may be appropriate to indicate the types of requests that each can respond to.
HINT: If you are going to be gone for an extended absence (e.g., sabbatical), consider including multiple contacts.
Include a reference to when you will be returning. If you feel it is appropriate, include the reason why you are out of the office. If you are subscribing to any discussion lists (listservs), sign off or suspend your subscription to prevent your vacation message from going to all of the list members.
Starting Out of Office Assistant
As part of your preparations for vacation, use the following steps to set up your out of the office message:
- From the Tools menu, select Out of Office Assistant
- Select I am currently out of the office
- In the Auto Reply only once to each sender with the following text text box, type the message that should be sent
For suggestions on content, see General Tips and Considerations. - Click OK
If the Out of Office Assistant is on whenever you open Outlook, a dialog box will appear notifying you of this and giving you the option of turning it off.
Turning off Out of Office Assistant
When you return from an absence, you will want to promptly turn off the Out of Office Assistant.
Turning Off Out of Office Assistant: First Opening
If the Out of Office Assistant is on, whenever you open Outlook, a dialog box will appear notifying you of this and giving you the option of turning it off.
- Open Outlook
- Windows: In the dialog box that appears, click OK
Macintosh: In the dialog box that appears, click YES
Turning Off Out of Office Assistant: Already Open
- From the Tools menu, select Out of Office Assistant
- Select I am currently in the office
- Click OK