Three out-of-office templates for the year-end office closure — Christmas through New Year, December break, holiday-week shutdown. Sets warm tone, clear coverage routing, no over-the-top cheer.
Quick answer
A winter-break OOO message states the closure dates (typically Dec 23 through Jan 2 or similar), names a coverage contact for emergencies, and includes a brief warm note. Don't mandate which holiday someone celebrates. Use Template 1 for company-wide closure, Template 2 for personal vacation overlap, Template 3 for brief.
→ Pro tip
Two-week closures need real routing — not "leave a message."
OutOfOfficePro at $9.99/month routes urgent matters by issue type during the closure. Free tier covers 5 dispatches/month.
Hello,
Thank you for your email. Our office is closed for the winter break from [start date] through [return date]. I will not be checking email during this time.
For urgent matters, please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email] or use [yourname].outofofficepro.com for category-based routing.
I'll respond to your message in the order received when I return.
Wishing you a peaceful holiday season,
[Your name]
Template 2 — Personal extended vacation
Personal
Hi,
I'm taking time off for the holidays from [start date] through [return date] — fully offline.
For urgent matters: [colleague name] at [colleague email]. For routing by issue type, [yourname].outofofficepro.com.
Happy holidays — I'll catch up when I'm back.
[Your name]
Template 3 — Brief
Brief
Out for winter break [start date] – [return date]. Urgent: [colleague], [email] or [yourname].outofofficepro.com.
Happy holidays.
— [Your name]
Best practices for winter break OOO
State exact dates. "December 23 through January 2" beats "for the holidays."
Acknowledge the season briefly, don't lecture. "Happy holidays" or specifying your holiday is fine; mandating others' is not.
Coverage matters more than for short vacations. Two weeks is enough time for things to break.
Don't promise to check email "between sessions." If your office is closed, your office is closed.
// Two weeks of office closure = a lot of "urgent" emails
Route them by category — automatically.
OutOfOfficePro routes urgent matters to the right team member during the closure. $9.99/month; free tier covers 5 dispatches/month.