Auto reply templates for part-time and reduced hours

If you work part-time, a four-day week, or a phased return after leave, people need to know which days you're around without asking each time. Some people put this in their signature; an auto-reply on your days off is clearer because it only appears when it's relevant. This template states your working days, when you'll reply, and who to try in between.

Template;ooo-hours

Hi, Thanks for your email. I work Working days, so I'm not in today and will reply on Next working day. If it can't wait, please contact Backup name at Backup email. Best, [Your name]

Then type ;ooo-hours in any app.

Variations

The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.

For the weeks after a long leave, when your hours are building back up.

Phased return

Hi, I'm on a phased return to work and currently in Working days. Replies may take a little longer than usual for the next few weeks. For anything urgent, Backup name (Backup email) can help. Thanks for your patience, [Your name]

A one-liner to add under your name instead of, or as well as, the auto-reply.

Signature line

My working days are Working days. I don't expect a reply outside your own working hours.

When to use it

Regular part-time or compressed schedules, set on your non-working days.
A phased return after parental, medical or other leave.
Teams spread across time zones where people should know your hours.

What to avoid

Don't apologise for your schedule. State it as a fact.
Don't leave the auto-reply on for days you do work; scheduled replies in Outlook can run on a date range.
Don't give the reason for your reduced hours.

The fields in this template

Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.

Working days{fill:Working days}: Your pattern, e.g. "Monday to Thursday" or "mornings, 9am to 1pm".
Next working day{fill:Next working day}: The next day you'll be answering email, with the weekday.
Backup name{fill:Backup name}: Who can help on your days off.
Backup email{fill:Backup email}: Their email address.

More about dynamic fields

Tips

•The signature-line variant is a good companion: it reaches people on days you do work, before they plan around you.
•Keep {fill:Next working day} as a fill-in rather than a computed date; part-time patterns rarely match a fixed offset.
•Add it to your Slack profile too so colleagues see your days before they message you.

Works in Outlook, Gmail and every other app

Retext types the snippet wherever your cursor is. To use a different version in one app, give it the same trigger and limit it to that app with per-app snippets. They go by app, not website, so every tab in your browser counts as one app.

Questions

Should part-time workers use an out of office every week?

On non-working days, yes, if people expect daily replies from you. Pair it with a line in your signature so people see your days before they write.

Can I schedule the auto reply for specific days?

Outlook and Gmail let you set a start and end time for each auto-reply. Recurring schedules usually need setting each week, which is where a saved message saves time.