39 Out of Office Message for Bereavement A Gentle Guide
When the world stops because of a loss, the last thing you want to worry about is your inbox.
You are likely staring at a blinking cursor, trying to find words that sound professional while your mind is somewhere else entirely. It feels heavy to type "best regards" when you are heartbroken. But setting up your out of office message for bereavement is actually an act of kindness to yourself. It is a digital boundary-a shield that protects your peace and prevents work from intruding on the moments that matter most right now.
This guide provides 39 sensitive, tested templates organized by how much you want to share. You have permission to be vague. You have permission to be private. And you certainly have permission to step away.
We will look at exactly how much detail is needed, how to set expectations without guilt, and which message works best for your specific situation.
Setting Your Compassionate Boundary: Rules for Communicating Absence
Anxiety often spikes when we try to balance professionalism with personal tragedy. You might worry about oversharing or, conversely, appearing cold.
The truth is, your auto-reply has two simple jobs: to inform people you are away, and to tell them who can help them in your place. That is it.
The Two Pillars of a Sensitive OOO Message
- Prioritize Vague Professionalism: For external clients or vendors, you do not owe a detailed explanation of your grief. A vague reference to a "personal matter" or "family emergency" is completely acceptable.
- Make Sure You Delegate: The best way to rest is knowing the ship won't sink. A good message directs people to a colleague. This allows you to truly disconnect rather than secretly checking emails from your phone.
Deciding Your Disclosure Level
Before you copy and paste a template, decide how much protective distance you need.
- The Zero-Detail Strategy: This is your "compassionate cloak." Use this for external clients or if you simply cannot bear to discuss the loss. It shuts down follow-up questions effectively.
- The Necessary Detail Strategy: This is helpful for close internal teams. Mentions of "bereavement leave" help colleagues understand why you might be harder to reach even after you return.
39 Bereavement OOO Messages Categorized by Emotional Tone
We have organized these messages by Tone Profile. Choose the one that matches your workplace culture and your current emotional capacity.
Tone Profile 1: The Private Protector (Maximum Boundary Setting)
These templates are for when you need maximum privacy. They are ideal for external contacts or if you are in a client-facing role and want to avoid receiving condolences from strangers. They focus strictly on redirection and managing expectations.
"Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office attending to a personal matter. I will have no access to email during this time. Please contact [Colleague Name] at [Email Address] for immediate assistance."
"I am away from my desk on leave and will be returning on [Date]. For urgent matters, please reach out to [Colleague Name], who is handling my accounts in my absence."
"I am currently taking time away from the office for a family emergency. I will not be checking email until my return on [Date]. Thank you for your understanding."
"Thank you for reaching out. I am on leave with limited access to email. I will respond to your message as soon as possible upon my return. For immediate needs, [Colleague Name] can assist you."
"I am out of the office starting [Start Date] and plan to return on [Return Date]. I will be unable to respond to messages during this period. Please direct all urgent inquiries to [Colleague Name]."
"Please note that I am away from the office on personal leave. My response to emails will be delayed. If this is an emergency, please contact the main office line at [Phone Number]."
"I am taking a leave of absence for personal reasons and will not be monitoring my inbox. I appreciate your patience and will get back to you when I return."
"Thank you for your note. I am away dealing with a private family matter. I expect to be back in the office on [Date]. Please contact [Colleague Name] for anything time-sensitive."
"I am currently out of the office. I will respond to emails when I return on [Date]. Thank you for respecting my time away."
"Automatic Reply: I am away on leave. For urgent assistance, please contact [Colleague Name]. Otherwise, I will respond to your inquiry when I am back at my desk."
Tone Profile 2: The Shared Sensitivity (For Close Teams and Colleagues)
If you work with a close-knit team, you might prefer a message that acknowledges the reason for your absence without oversharing. These templates balance honesty with professional boundaries.
"I am currently out of the office on bereavement leave. I will be checking email sparingly. If you need immediate help, please reach out to [Colleague Name]."
"Thank you for your email. I am taking time off following a death in the family. I appreciate your patience as my response time may be slower than usual upon my return."
"I am away on compassionate leave and will be unable to respond to emails. I plan to return on [Date]. Thank you for your understanding during this difficult time."
"Please be advised I am out of the office for family bereavement. I will be back on [Date] but may need a few days to catch up. Please contact [Colleague Name] for urgent deliverables."
"I am taking bereavement leave to be with my family. I will not be checking work communications. [Colleague Name] has kindly offered to handle urgent requests in my absence."
"Thank you for reaching out. I am away attending a funeral and spending time with family. I expect to return on [Date]. Your patience is appreciated."
"I am out of the office due to the loss of a loved one. I will do my best to respond to non-urgent emails after [Date]. For anything immediate, please ping [Colleague Name]."
"I am on leave for bereavement reasons. While I will not be working, [Colleague Name] is up to speed on my current projects and can assist you."
"Due to a family loss, I am stepping away from the office for a few days. I appreciate your support and understanding. I will be back online on [Date]."
"I am currently on bereavement leave. If your message is regarding [Specific Project], please contact [Colleague Name]. Otherwise, I will get back to you as soon as I can."
(Note: If you are looking for words to support a colleague who is grieving, you might find our collection of sympathy message loss of mother quotes helpful for understanding the depth of their experience.)
Tone Profile 3: The Logistical Lifesaver (Highly Functional and Formal)
These are best for senior roles, HR notifications, or high-volume inboxes where clarity is the only priority. They strip away emotion to focus purely on workflow continuity.
"I am currently out of the office on approved leave. For all immediate business matters, please contact [Colleague Name] at [Email] or [Phone]."
"I will be away from [Date] to [Date] with no email access. Please redirect all invoices and billing questions to [Department Email]."
"Out of Office: Bereavement Leave. Return Date: [Date]. Emergency Contact: [Colleague Name/Phone]."
"I am away from the office. All project approvals are currently being handled by [Manager's Name] until my return on [Date]."
"Thank you for your email. I am currently unavailable. Please note that my response time will be significantly delayed. Refer to [Link/Contact] for urgent support."
"I am out of the office on personal leave. For scheduling matters, please speak with my assistant, [Name], at [Email]."
"Current Status: Out of Office. I will not be checking email. Please resend your request to [Team Alias] for immediate attention."
"I am taking a leave of absence. Direct all press or media inquiries to [Colleague Name]. I will respond to personal messages upon my return."
"I am unavailable until [Date]. Please contact the main switchboard for assistance with urgent client accounts."
Handling Difficult Contexts: Flexibility in the Face of Grief
Sometimes, you don't know when you will be back. Or perhaps you are a manager writing on behalf of someone else. These situations require special handling.
OOO Messages for Ambiguous or Flexible Return Dates
Grief is unpredictable. Dealing with estate affairs or travel for a funeral often means your return date is a moving target. It is okay to be flexible. Just as you might set a tentative return date in an out of office message for the holidays, you can be equally fluid here.
"I am currently out of the office for a family emergency. My return date is flexible, but I hope to be back online by the week of [Date]. Thank you for your patience."
"I am away on bereavement leave. I will be returning to the office tentatively on [Date], pending family arrangements. Please contact [Colleague Name] in the interim."
"Thank you for your email. I am taking some time away for personal reasons. I expect to return shortly, but do not have a fixed date at this moment. I will follow up with you as soon as I am back."
"I am out of the office dealing with a family matter. I will be checking email intermittently starting [Date], but a full return to office is TBD. Please reach out to [Colleague Name] for urgent needs."
"I am currently away. Due to the nature of my absence, my return date is subject to change. Please refer to [Colleague Name] for any time-sensitive business decisions."
OOO Messages for Managers Communicating an Employee's Absence
If you are a manager setting an auto-reply for a grieving employee, your job is to protect their privacy. You do not need to disclose why they are gone, only that they are away.
"Thank you for emailing [Employee Name]. They are currently on leave. I am covering their correspondence in their absence. Please let me know how I can help."
"You have reached the inbox of [Employee Name]. They are away from the office with no email access. Please direct all inquiries to [Manager Name] until further notice."
"[Employee Name] is currently out of the office on personal leave. For any urgent matters regarding their accounts, please contact me directly at [Email]."
"This is an automated reply on behalf of [Employee Name]. They are taking some time away from work. We look forward to their return, but in the meantime, please reach out to [Team Email]."
"[Employee Name] is unavailable. We ask for your patience as we manage their workflow during this absence. Urgent items can be sent to [Manager Name]."
(Supporting a team member through grief is a delicate task. For more guidance on finding the right words for them personally, view our condolences message coworker templates.)
The Anti-Anxiety Checklist: Structuring Your OOO Message
Use this quick reference to make sure your out of office message for bereavement does its job so you can log off without worry.
| Element | Description | Why it Matters (Emotional Protection) |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Absence Statement | State clearly that you are out. | Removes confusion instantly. |
| Reason (Optional) | Brief mention ("family matter," "bereavement"). | Justifies the time away without oversharing. |
| Emergency Contact | Name and info of your delegate. | Stops your phone from ringing with "urgent" questions. |
| Return Expectations | A flexible date or "week of" statement. | Reduces your guilt about the backlog waiting for you. |
| Closing Line | A soft thanks (e.g., "Thank you for your patience"). | A professional way to ask for grace. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to disclose who passed away in my out-of-office message?
A: No, absolutely not. You are under no obligation to share details about who died or your relationship to them. Using phrases like "personal matter," "family emergency," or simply "bereavement leave" is perfectly professional and protects your privacy.
Q: Should I put "Bereavement" in the subject line of my auto-reply?
A: It depends on your comfort level. Using "Out of Office: Bereavement" immediately signals to the sender that they should not expect a reply and often evokes empathy. However, a standard "Out of Office" subject line works just as well if you prefer to keep the reason private within the body of the email.
Q: What if I don't know when I'll be back?
A: It is acceptable to leave the return date vague. You can say, "I hope to return the week of [Date]" or "I am away indefinitely and will update my status upon my return." Just make sure you provide a strong alternative contact person so business can proceed without you.
Q: Is it okay to use a different message for internal vs. external contacts?
A: Yes, many email platforms allow you to set two different auto-replies. You might share more context ("loss in the family") with colleagues you trust, while keeping the external message strictly functional ("away on personal leave").
Conclusion: The Permission to Pause
Writing an out of office message for bereavement is often the final hurdle before you can let go of your professional identity for a moment and simply be a human who is hurting.
Please remember that taking this time is not just a benefit provided by HR; it is a fundamental human need. By setting this clear digital boundary, you are giving yourself the space to process, to cry, to be with family, or to simply stare at the wall if that is what you need.
Choose the template above that makes you feel the safest. Copy it, paste it, and close your laptop. The work will be there when you get back. For now, your only job is to take care of yourself.
