Weekend Out of Office Message Templates

Out of office auto-reply templates for weekends and after-hours, setting expectations for a reply on the next business day. Use the variants as-is, edit the placeholders, or download the editable Word doc.

Format

Editable Word .docx

Length

6 variants · copy-paste

Price

100% free

Setup

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Support

Short and simple

Message

Thank you for your email. You have reached me outside of our normal business hours, so I will not see your message until the next working day. I will reply as soon as I am back at my desk on next business day. If your matter cannot wait, please contact contact name at contact email for assistance. Otherwise, thank you for your patience, and I look forward to helping you as soon as the week begins again. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Shorter version

Thanks for writing. You have reached me after hours. I will reply on next business day. For urgent matters, contact contact name at contact email.

Personalize

Set next business day to reflect Mondays and any public holidays.
State your business hours clearly so expectations are set upfront.

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6 ready-to-use variants

1. Short and simple 2. Detailed with return day 3. With alternate contact 4. Client-facing 5. Internal-team 6. Company-wide

Short and simple

When to use: Use it when you want senders to know you will answer on the next working day.

Message

Shorter version

Thanks for writing. You have reached me after hours. I will reply on next business day. For urgent matters, contact contact name at contact email.

Personalize

Set next business day to reflect Mondays and any public holidays.
State your business hours clearly so expectations are set upfront.

Detailed with return day

When to use: Use it when weekend email should queue for an honest early-week reply.

Message

Hello, and thank you for your message. Our office is currently closed for the weekend. Our standard office hours are Monday to Friday, and I will be back to respond on next business day. Any emails received over the weekend are answered in the order they arrive, so please allow up to reply time once we reopen. I value your message and want to give it proper attention rather than a rushed weekend reply. If you need help before then, contact name can be reached at contact email. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you are enjoying your time off.

Shorter version

Thanks for writing. We are closed for the weekend and reopen on next business day. Please allow up to reply time. Urgent matters go to contact name at contact email.

Personalize

Spell out your office hours so senders know when the week resumes.
Keep reply time honest so early-week replies feel like a bonus.

With alternate contact

When to use: Use it when someone is genuinely reachable while you are offline.

Message

Hi there, thanks for getting in touch. It is currently the weekend here, so I am away from email and spending time away from work. I will be back online and will reply to you on next business day. If something needs attention before then, please reach out to contact name at contact email, who may be able to help. For anything truly urgent, you can also try second contact. Otherwise, your message is safe with me and I will respond first thing next week. Thanks so much for your patience, and I hope you have a restful weekend too.

Shorter version

Thanks for writing. I am off for the weekend and will reply on next business day. Need help sooner? Contact contact name at contact email, or second contact.

Personalize

Only name contact name and second contact if they actually work weekends.
Keep the tone friendly so the after-hours reply still feels human.

Client-facing

When to use: Use it when after-hours client email should reassure without overpromising.

Message

Thank you for contacting us. Your message has reached us outside of business hours, over the weekend, when our team is offline. We will review your email and respond on next business day, giving it the full attention it deserves rather than a hurried reply. We understand some issues cannot wait, so if yours is time-sensitive, please contact contact name at contact email, or reach our support line for immediate help. We appreciate your business and your patience, and we will be in touch at the very start of the next working day to move things forward for you.

Shorter version

Thanks for writing. We are closed for the weekend and will reply on next business day. For urgent help, contact contact name at contact email or our support line.

Personalize

Point urgent clients to a support line that is genuinely staffed.
Reassure them their issue is first in line on next business day.

Internal-team

When to use: Use it when weekend or out-of-hours cover runs on an on-call rota.

Message

Hi team, you have reached me after hours or over the weekend, so I am offline and will pick this up on next business day. Please do not expect a reply before then. If something is genuinely urgent and cannot wait until the week starts, on-call person is covering out-of-hours issues and should be your first stop. For non-urgent questions, drop a note in team channel and someone around may respond sooner than I can. If it specifically needs me, flag contact name to hold it for my attention. Thanks, and enjoy the time away from the screen.

Shorter version

Offline for the weekend, back on next business day. Urgent items go to on-call person; general questions to team channel; hold anything for me with contact name.

Personalize

Confirm the on-call person before the weekend so cover is real.
Keep team channel as the default so pings do not pile up on you.

Company-wide

When to use: Use it when the whole company is offline until the next working day.

Message

Thank you for contacting company name. You have reached us outside our office hours, which run Monday to Friday during the working day. Our team is currently offline for the weekend, and your email will be answered when we return on next business day. All messages are handled in the order they are received, so you are already in the queue and nothing will be missed. If your matter is urgent and cannot wait for the next working day, please write to contact email, which is monitored for emergencies. We appreciate your patience and look forward to assisting you at the start of the week.

Shorter version

Thanks for contacting company name. We are closed for the weekend, with office hours on weekdays, and reopen on next business day. Urgent matters go to contact email.

Personalize

Make sure contact email is genuinely watched over the weekend.
Align office hours with what customers see on your website.

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How to use this template

1
Pick the closest variant. Choose based on the situation, not only the channel.
2
Replace every placeholder. If you cannot fill a field, ask one clarifying question first.
3
Save the final version into sem.chat, your CRM, or your help desk so the team stays consistent.
4
Review results weekly. Drop variants that create confusion and improve the ones that work.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use these templates commercially?

Yes. Copy, edit, and use them in your business, client work, CRM, help desk, or sem.chat workspace.

Why are there six variants?

One generic template rarely fits every situation. Six variants give your team practical choices without a messy library.

Should I paste these into sem.chat?

Yes. Save the best variants as canned replies, knowledge base entries, routing rules, or CRM notes so your AI agent and team stay consistent.

Do I really need an out of office reply just for weekends?

If you receive email outside working hours and do not want to answer it, a short weekend reply sets clear expectations. It stops senders wondering whether you saw their message and reduces weekend pressure.

Should a weekend auto-reply run every week automatically?

Many email systems let you schedule recurring after-hours replies. That works well for support inboxes, though individuals often prefer to switch it on manually so it never fires at the wrong time.

What should I promise as a reply time?

Commit to the next business day rather than a specific hour. It is simple, honest, and easy to keep, even when Monday brings a full inbox to work through.

Should I give an urgent contact for weekends?

Only if someone is genuinely available. Pointing people to an unstaffed line is worse than saying plainly that replies resume on the next working day.

How is a weekend reply different from a holiday one?

A weekend reply is short and recurring, focused on the next business day. A holiday message usually names specific closure dates and a longer break, with a warmer seasonal tone.