Sometimes it’s hard to believe that work isn’t your whole life, but it’s true. Life happens, and whether you’re away for an appointment, vacation, or a holiday, you can’t always be at your inbox. The Out of Office (OOO, or OOF) message has become a staple in the workplace, letting coworkers and clientele know that you’re unavailable without being dismissive. And this year, Microsoft is having fun with it.
We’re taking a creative approach to the OOO message by helping you tell the world that work can wait in a meme-like fashion. The Center for Out of Office Excellence is a do-it-yourself service that allows you to upload your own photo and add a creative filter onto it for a visual away message. Break away from the humdrum and add some fun to your outbox!
What’s the best OOF message you’ve seen? We’ve asked Shelley Stern Grach and Adam Hecktman (below), but we’d love to hear from you, too.
Shelley: My Ideal OOF is designed to make everyone jealous that I’m away and playing! I try to share that I am with my best friend/roommate/lover (aka husband), or that I am in someplace warm getting away from the snow (right). I try to be really personal when I am OOF for more than a day or two….to let everyone know I have a real life and am a real person.
Adam: I played with the Center for Out of Office Excellence and created some PNGs that I am excited to use…when I actually get some time off. My absolute favorite OOFs are those that show a little creativity, a little mystery. For example, I have a friend whose last name is Page. His OOF is this:
HTTP 404
Which, of course, is the response you get when you hit a dead link. It is usually accompanied by “Page Not Found”. Get it….
Visit the Center for Out of Office Excellence to create your own Out Of Office Meme.