I am on jury duty from and away from my desk during court hours. For urgent matters, get in touch with at ; I will reply when my service ends.
Professional · short · 1 of 2
Also for your time off
Where does it go?
A jury duty reply says you are serving, who covers and that you will answer when service ends, which often has no fixed date, as in "I am on jury duty from October 6 and away from my desk during court hours. For urgent matters, get in touch with Priya Nair at priya.nair@yourcompany.com; I will reply when my service ends."
Nothing about the case belongs in it, not the court, the charges or how long the trial might run, and a mild courtroom joke suits colleagues far better than clients.
All 12 replies on this page
Type your details in the writer and every reply below fills itself in.
Professional 4
I am on jury duty from [Away from] and away from my desk during court hours. For urgent matters, get in touch with [Who covers] at [Their email]; I will reply when my service ends.
Short
I have been called for jury service and my return date depends on the court. Please contact [Who covers] ([Their email]) for anything that cannot wait; I will answer the rest when I am back.
Short
Jury service has me away from my desk from [Away from], and I will not be able to read email during the day. The length of service is set by the court, so I do not have a firm return date. [Who covers] is looking after my work in the meantime; you can reach them at [Their email]. I will reply to remaining messages once my service has ended.
Longer
While the court is in session I am on jury duty, away from the office until [Back on]. I may check email in the evenings but cannot promise a response before I return. For anything time-sensitive, please contact [Who covers] at [Their email], who has the full picture of my current work.
Longer
Warm 4
Hi, I am doing my civic duty on a jury this week, so I am offline during the day. [Who covers] ([Their email]) can help with anything urgent; I will reply once I am done.
Short
Thanks for writing. Jury duty has me out of the office until [Back on]. If it cannot wait, [Who covers] at [Their email] is looking after my work until I return.
Short
I have been summoned for jury duty, so from [Away from] I am spending my days at the courthouse instead of my desk. Thanks for your patience: I do not know yet how long it will last. In the meantime [Who covers] is covering and answers at [Their email]; I will catch up on everything else once I am released.
Longer
Good to hear from you. I am serving on a jury until [Back on] and phones stay switched off in the courtroom, so my replies will wait until I am back. [Who covers] knows what I have on and is glad to help with anything urgent at [Their email]. I look forward to picking up our conversation when I return.
Longer
Funny 4
I have been selected for jury duty, so a courtroom has my full attention for now. [Who covers] ([Their email]) is handling urgent matters; the rest of you will get my verdict later.
Short
Skip if: the sender list includes clients or strangers who do not know your voice
Out on jury duty until [Back on]. I cannot discuss the case, but I can confirm this email is waiting. Urgent? [Who covers] at [Their email] is presiding over my inbox.
Short
Skip if: the sender list includes clients or strangers who do not know your voice
Greetings from jury duty, where I have learned that the coffee is worse than ours and that I may not tell you anything else. My service ends when the court says so, so I have no return date yet. For urgent matters, [Who covers] is covering at [Their email], and I will reply to the rest on my return.
Longer
Skip if: the sender list includes clients or strangers who do not know your voice
Your email has been entered into evidence and will be reviewed when I return on [Back on]. Until then I am on jury duty, phone off, notepad provided. If your matter cannot wait, [Who covers] is acting on my behalf, reachable at [Their email]. No objections will be sustained in the meantime.
Longer
Skip if: the sender list includes clients or strangers who do not know your voice
What to leave out
Any detail about the case. An auto reply is a broadcast, and the case is not yours to share.
A guessed return date. Unless the court has given you an end date, say your service has no fixed end.
A promise to answer during breaks. You may not be able to use your phone, and the promise will outlast your battery.
The courthouse name or address. Senders need to know you are away, not where.
Jokes about the defendant or the verdict. Keep any humor on the coffee and the waiting room.
Filling it in
Enter your first day of service in Away from. If the court gave you an end date, add it as Back on; if not, leave it empty and the replies without a return date come first. Name one cover contact, copy the reply and set it with no end date, then switch it off yourself when you are released.
Questions people ask
What should a jury duty out of office message say?
That you are on jury duty, who is covering your work and that you will reply when your service ends. Give an end date only if the court gave you one. Say nothing about the case itself: the court, the charges and the expected length all stay out of a message that goes to everyone who emails you.
Do I have to say jury duty in my out of office?
No. Saying you are out of the office, with a cover contact, is enough, and some people prefer it. Naming jury duty does help when the end date is uncertain, because senders understand why you cannot promise one. Either way, keep it to the fact of service and nothing about the trial.
What if I do not know when jury duty ends?
Leave the return date out and say you will reply when your service ends. Half the replies on this page are written that way. Set the auto reply with no end date in your mail client and switch it off yourself once you are released, so senders never see a date you missed.
To
Everyone leaving soon
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Department of Being Elsewhere
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Before you go
The auto reply is one of five things. The other four take about ten minutes and prevent most of the emails you will read when you get back.