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MLK Day

MLK Day out of office message

MLK Day

Away fromBack on

These replies need a return date

Who coversTheir email

Your name

SubjectOffice closed, reopening Tuesday, January 19

Our office is closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and reopens on Tuesday, January 19. For urgent matters in the meantime, please write to at .

Professional · short · 1 of 1

Also for your time off

Where does it go?

An MLK Day out of office message says the office is closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, gives the day you reopen and names one contact, as in "Our office is closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and reopens on Tuesday, January 19. For urgent matters in the meantime, please write to Priya Nair at priya.nair@yourcompany.com."

Federal offices close on the third Monday of January while private companies set their own calendars, so say clearly whether the whole office is closed or only you are out, and keep any humor on your inbox rather than on the holiday.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day dates

2027

Monday, January 18

Back on Tuesday, January 19

2028

Monday, January 17

Back on Tuesday, January 18

Federal offices close on the third Monday of January; private employers set their own schedules. The writer above is already set to the next closure; change the dates if your office does it differently.

Printable “Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day” sign

For the door, the front desk or a photo on your booking page. The dates are filled in; add your name and opening hours if you like, then print.

Business name (optional)Hours when you reopen (optional)

Closed

for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Monday, January 18

We reopen Tuesday, January 19.

Thank you, and enjoy the day.

All 6 replies on this page

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

Professional 2

Our office is closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and reopens on [Back on]. For urgent matters in the meantime, please write to [Who covers] at [Their email].
Short
In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, our offices are closed from [Away from] and will reopen on [Back on]. Messages received during the closure will be answered on the day we return. Should a matter require attention before then, [Who covers] is available as the duty contact at [Their email]. Thank you for your patience while our team observes the holiday.
Longer

Warm 2

I am out for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and back on [Back on]. If it cannot wait, [Who covers] ([Their email]) is covering and glad to help.
Short
The team is off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so this inbox is resting until [Back on]. I will read your note when I am back and reply that day. If something needs a person before then, [Who covers] is looking after urgent requests at [Their email]. Thanks for writing, and I hope the long weekend treats you well.
Longer

Funny 2

This inbox is taking Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and will be back to its usual chatty self on [Back on]. Urgent? [Who covers] at [Their email] has you covered.
Short
Skip if: The joke is about the inbox only; never make the holiday itself the punchline, and skip it for public or client inboxes.
You have reached an inbox that is, for once, completely caught up, mainly because nobody is here to read it. We are closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day from [Away from] and reopen on [Back on]. For anything that truly cannot wait, [Who covers] is on call at [Their email]. Otherwise, your message will get a real reply the day we are back.
Longer
Skip if: The joke is about the inbox only; never make the holiday itself the punchline, and skip it for public or client inboxes.

Coming up after MLK Day

Filling it in

Enter the Monday as the start date and Tuesday as the day you are back, and name a colleague who is working if your company stays open. Choose professional or warm; keep any humor about your inbox, and schedule the reply to end on Tuesday morning.

Questions people ask

Do I need an out of office for MLK Day if my company stays open?

Only if you personally take the day. Federal offices close for Martin Luther King Jr. Day but private employers choose for themselves, so senders cannot assume you are away. If your office is open and you are off, say that you are out rather than that the office is closed, and name the colleague who is in.

How should an MLK Day out of office message sound?

Respectful and plain. The day honors a civil rights leader and is also observed as a national day of service, so a joke, if you want one, belongs on your own inbox and never on the holiday. The professional and warm replies on this page name the day, the reopening date and the cover contact, and that is all the message needs.