Home
Sick leave

Sick Leave Out of Office Message: Short, Plain, No Diagnosis

Sick leave

Away fromBack on

No return date yet

Who coversTheir email

Your name

SubjectOut of office

I am currently on leave and not checking email. is covering my responsibilities in the meantime; write to them at . I will reply to your message when I return.

Professional · short · 1 of 2

Also for your time off

Where does it go?

Two or three plain sentences are enough when you are off sick, and this is the version most people end up sending: "I am on leave and not reading email. Write to Priya Nair at priya.nair@yourcompany.com for anything that cannot wait. I will reply when I return."

The reply needs no diagnosis, hospital or prognosis, the word "leave" alone is a complete reason, humor has no place here, and a return date goes in only if a doctor has given you one.

All 12 replies on this page

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

Professional 4

I am currently on leave and not checking email. [Who covers] is covering my responsibilities in the meantime; write to them at [Their email]. I will reply to your message when I return.
Short
Until approximately [Back on] I am on medical leave. Thank you for your message; for anything that needs attention before then, reach out to [Who covers] at [Their email].
Short
I am on medical leave from [Away from] and am not able to monitor this inbox at present. [Who covers] has agreed to cover my work during this period and answers at [Their email]; please send any requests or questions directly to them so nothing is delayed. I will respond to outstanding messages once I am back at work.
Longer
I am on sick leave and expect to return on or around [Back on], though this may change. While I am away, [Who covers] is handling my projects and correspondence and can be contacted at [Their email]. Please route anything time sensitive to them rather than to this address, and I will follow up on everything else once I have returned.
Longer

Warm 4

Hello, and thank you for writing. I am on leave for health reasons and away from email for the time being. [Who covers] at [Their email] is looking after my work and will help you.
Short
I am off work until around [Back on] and taking the time to recover. Thanks for your email; please contact [Who covers] ([Their email]) for anything that needs a reply before then.
Short
Hi, thanks for getting in touch. I am on medical leave from [Away from] and have stepped away from email entirely so I can focus on getting better. [Who covers] knows my work and is covering while I am away; you can reach them at [Their email] and they will make sure nothing falls through the cracks. I will be back in touch once I return, and I appreciate your understanding.
Longer
I am away on sick leave and hope to be back around [Back on], though I will confirm once I know for certain. In the meantime, [Who covers] has taken on my responsibilities, reachable at [Their email], so please do not hesitate to contact them. I look forward to picking things up with you when I am well again.
Longer

Brief 4

I am on leave and not reading email. Write to [Who covers] at [Their email] for anything that cannot wait. I will reply when I return.
Short
[Your name] is on sick leave until approximately [Back on]. All work queries should go to [Who covers] at [Their email] during this time. Thank you.
Short
Medical leave from [Away from]: this inbox is not being monitored. Work matters: [Who covers], [Their email]. Personal matters: I will read them when I am back. Please do not expect a reply before then, and do not resend; your message is saved and will be answered in order on my return. Thank you for understanding.
Longer
An automatic reply from [Your name], who is on sick leave with an expected return around [Back on]. Nothing sent here will be read until then. For project questions, deadlines or approvals, contact [Who covers] at [Their email], who has full authority to act in my place. Anything else can wait for my return and will get a reply then.
Longer

What to leave out

Any medical word. "Surgery", "treatment" and "recovering from" all invite questions you will have to answer later.
A return date you have not been given; "on leave" with no date is normal and nobody will think it strange.
Jokes. Even a light one tells people to wonder how ill you really are.
A promise to check email from home. Set the reply to say you are not reading it and let that be true.
Reassurance like "nothing serious". It is private either way, and if it turns out to be serious you will regret it.

Filling it in

Choose brief if you want two lines and nothing more, professional for a client-facing inbox, warm for a team that knows you. Add a return date only if you have been given one; leave the field empty otherwise and the reply adjusts. Ask a colleague to set it for you if you are not at a computer.

Questions people ask

What should a sick leave out of office message say?

That you are on leave, who covers, and nothing else. On leave is a complete reason; sick is allowed but not required, and anything more specific invites questions you will have to answer when you return. Add a return date only when a doctor has actually named one. The brief tone on this page is two sentences and is the version most people actually send; there is no funny tone here by design.

How do I set up an automatic reply when I am off sick and not at a computer?

Ask a colleague or your manager to set it for you; most mail systems let an administrator switch on automatic replies for another mailbox. Send them the text from this page with the cover contact filled in and no return date. If you do have your phone, the Outlook and Gmail apps both let you set a reply from the account settings in under a minute, and you can leave the end date blank.

How is an email asking for medical leave different from the auto reply?

The request for leave goes to your manager or HR, says how long you expect to be away if you know, and attaches whatever your workplace requires; it is private and can carry detail. The auto reply goes to everyone who emails you, including strangers, and should carry none of that. This page writes the second message only. Keep the two separate and never paste the medical reason into the reply.