How to Write Maternity Leave Out of Office Message – 2024
Maternity leave out of office message: If you are planning on taking maternity or parental leave, then it’s important to set up an out of office reply in advance. A well-written parental or maternity leave out-of-office message conveys pertinent information to customers, clients and colleagues in a professional and helpful tone.
In this article, we discuss what a parental leave out-of-office message is and the steps you can take to write one, and we offer a template and examples to help you craft your own message.
Why Write a Parental or Maternity Leave Out-of-Office Message?
A parental or maternity leave out-of-office message communicates that you’re currently unavailable and sets expectations for when you’llll be back in the office and who can be contacted in your absence.
This out-of-office message maintains a professional flow of communication with your office and eliminates the need for you to reply to emails when you’re on parental leave. By creating this message well in advance of your parental leave, you’re prepared for the possibility that you may need to begin your leave early.
How to Write a Maternity Leave Out of Office Message
Here are the basic steps you should take to write a parental or maternity leave out-of-office message:
1. Consider mentioning why you’re away
You should first decide whether you will communicate the reason you are out of the office. You could directly state that you’re away on parental leave or simply say you’re away from the office for an extended period of time. Ultimately, this decision is up to you.
2. Add your return date the date you will return
It’s important to include the date you’ll return to the office. If you don’t know the exact return date, you could include a general estimate, such as mid-October, so that the person contacted you can decide if they need to contact someone else in your absence.
3. Determine whether you’ll check emails
Decide whether you’ll be checking email occasionally (for a special client, for instance) or you won’t read email at all. If you do intend to stay somewhat involved with your work while you’re away on parental leave, it’s important to set expectations for the level of involvement others can expect from you.
4. Identify your point of contact
The first step to take when creating an out-of-office reply is to identify who will be taking over your responsibilities while you’re away on parental leave. Depending on how your workload is being divided, you may want to include the information for more than one person in your auto-reply. This can make it easier for the email sender to ensure they contact the right person.
Maternity Leave Out-of-Office Email Template
Here is a template that you can use when creating your out-of-office reply for parental leave:
Thank you for your email. I’ll be out of the office [on maternity or parental leave] until [date].
[I’ll be checking my email weekly/monthly/periodically. Please re-send messages you need me to review with URGENT in the subject line and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.]
If you need an immediate help, please contact[name] at [email/phone number]. [Provide the contact information of others who can be contacted depending on the project or specific need].
All the best,
[Name]
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When will you return from maternity leave?
I am currently on maternity leave and plan to return on [insert return date]. If this date changes, I will update accordingly.
2. Who can I contact in your absence?
For urgent matters or immediate assistance, please contact [Name] at [email address or phone number]. They will be happy to help you.
3. Will you be checking your emails during maternity leave?
I will not be checking my emails regularly during my maternity leave. If your matter is urgent, please reach out to [alternate contact person] at [contact information].
4. What should I do if I need assistance with a specific issue?
For [specific issue, e.g., billing, technical support], please contact [alternate contact or department] at [email address or phone number].
5. How can I stay updated about your return?
I will ensure to send a notification once I am back to work. Alternatively, you can reach out to [alternate contact] to inquire about my return date closer to the time.
