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Bereavement

Bereavement Out of Office Message: Brief and Private

Bereavement

Away fromBack on

No return date yet

Who coversTheir email

Your name

SubjectOut of office

I am away on bereavement leave and not checking email. is covering my work (). I will answer the rest when I return.

Professional · short · 1 of 2

Also for your time off

Where does it go?

Keep a bereavement reply as short as this one, which tells people you are on leave and who to email, and asks nothing more of you: "I am on bereavement leave. Email Priya Nair at priya.nair@yourcompany.com for anything work related. I will be in touch when I return."

The words "bereavement" or "compassionate leave" are as much as anyone needs to read, who died and when the funeral is stay private, there is no humor here, and a return date is optional until you know it.

All 12 replies on this page

Type your details in the writer and every reply below fills itself in.

Professional 4

I am away on bereavement leave and not checking email. [Who covers] is covering my work ([Their email]). I will answer the rest when I return.
Short
I am on compassionate leave until [Back on], and this inbox is unattended. For urgent matters, write to [Who covers] at [Their email]; I will respond to everything else on my return.
Short
From [Away from] I am on bereavement leave and will not be reading messages during this time. [Who covers] has agreed to cover my responsibilities; write to them at [Their email]; please send anything that needs attention to them directly. I will respond to remaining messages when I am back at work and appreciate your patience.
Longer
I am away from work for a family bereavement and expect to return on [Back on]. In my absence, [Who covers] is handling my projects and can be contacted at [Their email] for anything that needs a decision or a reply before then. All other correspondence will be answered after my return.
Longer

Warm 4

Thank you for writing. I am away on bereavement leave for a while and not reading email. [Who covers] at [Their email] is looking after things for me and will help you gladly.
Short
Thank you for reaching out. I am on compassionate leave until [Back on] and away from my inbox. [Who covers] ([Their email]) is covering for me and will make sure you are looked after.
Short
Following a death in my family I am away from work, and I am not checking email at the moment. Thank you for getting in touch; [Who covers] has stepped in to cover my work and answers at [Their email], so please do contact them for anything you need in the meantime. I will come back to your message when I return, and I am grateful for your understanding.
Longer
Hi, thanks for your message. I am on bereavement leave until [Back on] and have handed my work to [Who covers] while I am away; you can reach them at [Their email] and they will take good care of you. I will reply to anything that is still waiting once I am back. Thank you for your patience during this time.
Longer

Brief 4

I am on bereavement leave. Email [Who covers] at [Their email] for anything work related. I will be in touch when I return.
Short
[Your name] is away on compassionate leave until [Back on]. Work queries go to [Who covers] at [Their email]. Other messages will be read on return.
Short
Bereavement leave from [Away from]: this inbox is not being read. For anything related to my work, get in touch with [Who covers] at [Their email], who has agreed to cover for me and can make decisions in my place. Personal messages will be read when I am back, and I will reply to them as I am able.
Longer
Compassionate leave: I am away and plan to return on [Back on], although this may change. [Who covers] is my cover, reachable at [Their email] for any work matter in the meantime. Please send project questions to them rather than to this address. Everything else will be answered after I return.
Longer

What to leave out

Who has died, or the relationship. "A death in my family" is already more than the reply requires.
The funeral date or place. A reply that reaches every sender is not the way to inform people who should be there.
A return date you have been pressured into; grief does not keep to a calendar and the reply need not either.
Thanks for sympathy in advance. The auto reply is not the place, and most senders will not know.
Any lightness of tone, even the kind you normally use with this team.

Filling it in

Choose brief and short if you want the least possible to write; it is the version most people send. Name one colleague and leave the dates empty unless you know them. If you would rather not touch your inbox at all, send this page to a colleague or your manager and ask them to set the reply for you.

Questions people ask

What should a bereavement out of office message say?

Three things: that you are on bereavement or compassionate leave, who to contact for work matters, and that you will be in touch when you return. Nothing about who died, when the funeral is, or when you will be back. Two sentences are the right length and the brief tone here is exactly that. If you cannot face your inbox, forward this page to a colleague who can switch the reply on for you.

Do I have to say why I am away in a bereavement auto reply?

No. On leave with a cover contact is enough, and many people prefer it. Bereavement leave or compassionate leave is one word more and tells senders to be patient without inviting questions; a death in the family is as far as any reply should go. Every item on this page stops at that line, carries no humor, and leaves the return date optional until you know it.