Three out-of-office templates for digital nomads, remote weeks, and time-zone shifts. Sets honest expectations when you're working but not in your usual location or hours.
Quick answer
A "working remotely" auto-reply is technically not OOO — you're working, just not where people expect. State you're working from a different time zone or location, set realistic response-time expectations, and route urgent matters that need same-time-zone handling to a colleague who's actually there.
→ Pro tip
Working from another time zone? Route by need, not by you.
Some matters need someone in your client's time zone immediately. OutOfOfficePro routes those automatically — you stay focused, the right person handles it. $9.99/month.
Hi,
Thanks for your email. I'm working remotely from [location] this week ([start date]–[return date]). My response time may be slightly delayed due to time zones, but I'm still checking email regularly.
For matters that need immediate attention in [your client's time zone], please contact [colleague name] at [colleague email] — they're in the office. For category-specific routing, [yourname].outofofficepro.com.
Best,
[Your name]
Template 2 — Different time zone (significant offset)
Time zone
Hello,
I'm working remotely from [location] through [return date]. There's a [X-hour] time difference, so I'll be online during [your local hours = client's hours].
For matters requiring immediate same-time-zone attention, please reach [colleague name] at [colleague email] or use [yourname].outofofficepro.com for urgent routing.
I'll respond to your message at the next overlap of our working hours.
Best,
[Your name]
Template 3 — Brief digital nomad
Brief
Working remotely from [location], [date range]. Some response delay due to time zones.
For urgent same-zone needs: [colleague], [email] or [yourname].outofofficepro.com.
— [Your name]
"Working remotely" vs true OOO
You're not actually out. An OOO that says "I'm working" is a different category. Set "delayed response" expectations, not "I'll respond on return."
Time zones matter. If you're in a 12-hour-different zone, half-day delays are real. Be honest.
Some things still need someone local. Route urgent matters that need same-zone handling to a colleague who's in the right place.
Don't apologize for working remotely. It's normal now. Just set the expectations.
// Working from anywhere needs better routing
Same-zone urgency goes to a same-zone person — automatically.
OutOfOfficePro routes by issue type, so an emergency that needs immediate same-time-zone handling goes to a colleague who's there. $9.99/month, free tier covers 5 dispatches/month.