Before you head-off on your Christmas break make sure you turn on your email out of office assistant and update your voicemail. 

Out of Office Assistant

To access out of office assistant:

1.       Go to Tools and selectOut of Office Assistant

2.       Fill in you out of office details

3.       Click I am currently out of office 

For an effective out of office message make sure you include how long you will be away, the reason for your absence and, if you are in a critical function area, who to contact in your absence. 

For example:

Thank you for your message. I am currently [reason for absence] and will be out of office from [start date] until [return date], when I can attend to your message. If your enquiry is urgent, please contact [contact details]. 

Voicemail

It is important to update your voicemail message before you leave on your Christmas break. 

When updating your voicemail message you should indicate that you will be away during CPL’s Christmas closure, when you will return and who to contact in case of an emergency, if appropriate. 

For example: 

“Hello you’ve called the voicemail of [your name or your group name, eg the Marketing Department] from CPL. I am currently on leave during CPL’s Christmas closure returning on [return date], so please leave a message after the tone.  I will return your call as soon as possible.  Thank you, and have a nice day.” 

Depending on the nature of your role, you may also need to add “If the matter is urgent, please call [xxxxx]”.