Guidance for Out-of-Office Messages
Out-of-Office Messages
If you are able to continue responding to email within two business days while working away from the office, please do not employ an automatic out-of-office reply in Outlook.
If your responses will take longer than two business days, consider the optimal settings for your situation for the sending of automatic replies. You may choose within your settings to send automatic replies only within your organization, to limit automatic replies to your contacts, or to send to both internal and external senders. If choosing the latter, appropriate for those in customer-service roles dealing with the public, it is recommended that you create different replies for those within and outside the University.
Here are sample messages that can be tailored to your office circumstances in the event that you are responding to email on a less regular basis than usual.
If your responses will take longer than two business days, consider the optimal settings for your situation for the sending of automatic replies. You may choose within your settings to send automatic replies only within your organization, to limit automatic replies to your contacts, or to send to both internal and external senders. If choosing the latter, appropriate for those in customer-service roles dealing with the public, it is recommended that you create different replies for those within and outside the University.
Here are sample messages that can be tailored to your office circumstances in the event that you are responding to email on a less regular basis than usual.
Automatic replies to those within your organization (@hartford.edu):Thank you for your message. Due to our current response to the COVID-19 crisis, I am working from home and only able to check email occasionally. I will respond to your message as I am able. If your need is urgent, please contact (choose a department colleague who is checking email regularly and place that individual's name and e-mail address here).
Automatic replies to those outside of the University:Thank you for your message. In response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, University of Hartford employees are working remotely for the foreseeable future. I will be responding to email as I am able, but please understand that response time may be slower than normal.
For information and updates on the University’s response to the COVID-19 health crisis, please visit hartford.edu/health-coronavirus.
Here is a sample message to those outside of the University that can be tailored to your office circumstances in the event that you are responding to email infrequently or not at all.
Thank you for your message. In response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, University of Hartford employees are working remotely for the foreseeable future. I will not be checking and responding to email on a regular basis. If you need timely assistance, please contact (place a generic email address for your department here if that address is being checked regularly. If not applicable or possible, identify a department colleague who is checking email regularly and place that individual's email address here).
For information and updates on the University’s response to the COVID-19 health crisis, please visit hartford.edu/health-coronavirus.