Teams Status Message for Leave: 25 Templates by Leave Type

A good Teams status message for leave answers three questions in one line: are you away, when are you back, and who should people contact. For example: "On annual leave until Monday 13 October. For anything urgent, contact Dana Kim." Teams status messages hold up to 280 characters, so there is room for all three. Set the message to clear on your first day back, and turn on Show when people message me so it appears as soon as someone starts a chat with you.

Below are 25 templates by leave type, and the steps to set them on desktop and mobile.

We build Slack Green, which keeps your Slack status green from our servers during the hours you set, so we spend a lot of time on what a status says while you are away. The full how-to for Teams status messages and out of office is in how to set an away message in Teams.

Teams status for leave, by type

Replace the names and dates in brackets. Each template fits in the 280-character limit.

Annual leave and planned leave

On annual leave until Monday [13 October]. Urgent: [Dana Kim].
Away on vacation, back [13 October]. I won't be checking Teams.
On planned leave [6-10 October]. [Project X]: [Alex Lee]. Everything else: I'll reply when back.
Out of office until [date], with no access to Teams. For [team] requests, message [channel].
On leave this week. Back [Monday]. Please email [name] for anything that can't wait.

Half day and short leave

Off this afternoon, back tomorrow at 9 AM.
Out this morning for an appointment, online from 1 PM.
Half day today. Reachable by phone until 3 PM: [number].
Leaving early today, back online tomorrow morning.

Upcoming leave

A status before you go gives people time to send requests early:

Heads up: I'm on leave [6-10 October]. Send anything you need from me by [Friday].
Leave starts [date]. [Name] covers [area] while I'm out.
Wrapping up before leave on [date]. Please flag open items this week.
Out next week. Book time with me before [Thursday] if you need it.

Emergency and unplanned leave

Out unexpectedly for a family matter. Please contact [name] for anything urgent.
On emergency leave until further notice. [Name] is covering.
Away today. Replies will be delayed. Urgent: [name].

Public holidays and office closures

Office closed for [holiday]. Back [Tuesday].
Public holiday in [country] today. Back tomorrow.
Out for [holiday], back [date]. Happy holidays.

Sick leave, study leave and other leave

Out sick today. I'll reply tomorrow. Urgent: [name].
On study leave until [date], checking messages on Fridays.
On jury duty this week, limited access. Back [date].
On leave. [Name] is the contact for [team] until [date].
On sabbatical until [date]. [Name] has my projects.
On leave for a family event, back [date].

More sick-day wording is in Teams status for sick days. Lighter options for ordinary days are in funny Teams status messages. If you also use Slack, the same ideas in Slack's format are in our free Slack status generator.

How to set a leave status message in Teams

• Select your profile picture at the top right of Teams.
• Select Set status message.
• Paste your message.
• Turn on Show when people message me. The message then appears when someone opens a chat with you or @mentions you.
• Under Clear status message after, choose Custom and pick your first day back.
• Select Done.

On the Teams phone app: tap your profile picture, then Set status message, and follow the same steps. The option is called Clear after.

Status message or out of office?

For leave longer than a day, use both. The status message is what people see in Teams. The out of office also sends automatic replies to email in Outlook and shows the purple out-of-office status on your picture. To schedule it: profile picture, Set status message, Schedule out of office, turn on Turn on automatic replies, type the message and set the dates. Microsoft notes that a status message can hide your out of office note in Teams, so keep both saying the same thing. Full steps are in how to set an away message in Teams.

Tips for a leave status that works

• Put the return date first or second. People scan for it.

• Name a person, not a team, for urgent requests, and ask them first.

• Say whether you will check messages. "No access to Teams" stops people waiting for a reply.

• Skip the reason for personal or medical leave. "On leave" is enough.

• Set it to clear on its own. A leave status still up a week after you are back confuses people.

For maternity, paternity and adoption leave, with out of office templates, see Teams status for maternity leave.

FAQ

What should I put as my Teams status when on leave? That you are on leave, your return date, and who to contact. Example: "On leave until 13 October. Urgent: Dana Kim."

How long can a Teams status message be? Up to 280 characters.

How do I set a Teams status for a future leave? Set the status message before you go with Clear after set to your return date, and schedule the out of office with start and end dates.

Does a Teams status message change my availability dot? No. Set Away or schedule out of office to change the dot.