Maternity leave away messages?

SassyFlats · February 2014

So, I'm getting things ready here at work since baby could arrive pretty much any time now (37w 5d), but I kind of don't know where to begin with my away messages. I work for a very small company, so there's no real precedent to follow. My coworker will be forwarding my phone calls to her line, but the voicemail will still pick up if she doesn't. My email will just have the away message saying something like "please email xxxx@xxxx.com for assistance." It won't auto-forward.

What does your away message for phone or email say? I've got some kind of pregnant writer's block. :P

novelblessings · February 2014

I haven't even thought about this. I have already tried to notify as many people as possible that around such and such a time I will be gone. I'm sure some crisis will come up though, as it always does in my field. If I have a chance to change my voicemail (which I'm less concerned about because usually I have to have calls forwarded to me anyways, through the front) then I'll probably have something on there about I'm on leave, if this is an emergency call so and so at this number. Same for email, but I'm also sending reminders out again next week to my probation/parole officers that I will be gone. I'm sure they will forget though.

nlane0723 · February 2014

Email:

"Thank you for your message. I am currently out of the office on maternity leave and will return in May 2014. I will be checking emails intermittently. If you require immediate assistant, please contact [supervisor] at [email].

I haven't set up my phone yet, but all voicemails go to my email inbox and will be forwarded to my supervisor, if necessary.

I'm not auto forwarding my emails.

amdecker1016 · February 2014

I read your title as "maternity leave away massages". Hah and i was like, they are paying for massages? I need her job!

I have nothing else to add but i hope you get it sorted out.

SassyFlats · February 2014

amymheidecker said:
I read your title as "maternity leave away massages". Hah and i was like, they are paying for massages? I need her job!

I have nothing else to add but i hope you get it sorted out.

.... I could go for that!

ErinE683 · February 2014

I think I'll have my email specifically say "maternity leave", like @schlanderer2005. And it will say "until mid June" or something kind of vague like that. That way, if someone gets the out of office reply in late March, they know I'll be gone quite a while still. Then it will have specifics about who to contact in my absence.

KariB509 · February 2014

I'm going to make my email away message say, "I'm currently on maternity leave and I don't plan on coming back afterwards. Peace out, bitches!!!!!!!" Hahaha j/k!

salbert610 · February 2014

In your VM I would say that you are currently on leave and please do not leave a message, instead please call back to speak with your coworker (that's receiving your calls). That way your coworker doesn't need to check both phones for VMs all the time.

VineyardMel · February 2014

Mine will say:

I'm currently out of the office on Maternity Leave of Absence through the end of May. Please contact manager name at phone or email for assistance while I'm out.

I have too many different areas that are being covered by different people to break it all out, so I'm just directing them to my manager who will direct them to the right place.

clo1982 · February 2014

My phone will be forwarded on to my assistant but will go to my voicemail if she doesn't pick up. My voicemail will say that 'i will be out of the office for an extended period of time for maternity leave. During that time I will not have access to voicemail. If your matter requires attention please hang up and call my supervisor or my assistant at...,,' if I put anything about leaving a message or having even limited access to voicemail people will expect me to call them back then get angry when I don't. For email, it will basically say the same thing...no access...but will include more detailed contact info for my assistant and boss including email, office number, fax and cell phone (for my boss). I have also already sent my larger, more high maintenance clients an email with instructions in my absence just to be pro-active.

bumpuser9058414 · February 2014

Mine will say that I will be out of the office on maternity leave until the end of May and to contact my supervisor. My issue is when do I put this message up? I have no set date to leave and no idea when I'll be out for the duration.

novelblessings · February 2014

Berry30 said:

Mine will say that I will be out of the office on maternity leave until the end of May and to contact my supervisor. My issue is when do I put this message up? I have no set date to leave and no idea when I'll be out for the duration.

I have the same issue. I figure if I'm in the office when I leave I'll try and remember to put it up. Otherwise it will just have to go up later once I get home from the hospital.

bumpuser9058414 · February 2014

novelblessings said:

Berry30 said:

Mine will say that I will be out of the office on maternity leave until the end of May and to contact my supervisor. My issue is when do I put this message up? I have no set date to leave and no idea when I'll be out for the duration.

I have the same issue. I figure if I'm in the office when I leave I'll try and remember to put it up. Otherwise it will just have to go up later once I get home from the hospital.

I have a government computer and can't log on from home and no one else can log on for me, so it's very possible that I won't be able to even get one up. Or I could come in after delivery, but yeah, I don't want to.

ktlucas · February 2014

This is the email I typed up, with a list of contacts for different aspects of my job:

If you were not aware, I am expecting my 1st child and will be out on maternity leave when the baby arrives. I am due March 28th, if everything goes as planned I will be out of the office until mid-June.

To ensure that your experience will be seamless and my job responsibilities are covered during the time that I am away, below will be your point of contacts for each reference point.

Please let me know if you have any particular concerns or questions about how your needs will be covered during my maternity leave. I will let you know of any changes to this plan that might impact you.

Thank you for the confidence you place in my work for you. I look forward to working with you up until the start of my leave, and again after I return.

I have not thought of my voice message yet, but probably will say contact my supervisor.

PerkyErky · February 2014

Berry30 said:

novelblessings said:

Berry30 said:

Mine will say that I will be out of the office on maternity leave until the end of May and to contact my supervisor. My issue is when do I put this message up? I have no set date to leave and no idea when I'll be out for the duration.

I have the same issue. I figure if I'm in the office when I leave I'll try and remember to put it up. Otherwise it will just have to go up later once I get home from the hospital.

I have a government computer and can't log on from home and no one else can log on for me, so it's very possible that I won't be able to even get one up. Or I could come in after delivery, but yeah, I don't want to.

If you're able to set a start date you can set it up and then have it start on a specific day. I set mine to start March 1st. I am due the 8th but due to cervix issues my dr thinks I will deliver next week. So I figured the 1st worked. And if I am somehow still at work after the 1st I will update the start date of my email auto reply. As for vm I am thinking of setting it every evening when I leave the office and then changing it when I come in in the morning. Or if I can figure out how to remote access my vm I will update it that way.

iheartbooks · February 2014

My HR said I'm not allowed to put "maternity leave" in my out of office- only "leave", because adding maternity is considered too personal of information. Anyone else? I've never heard of this before and think it's really weird.

SassyFlats · February 2014

My boss will push the buttons to activate the messages, so that's the easy part!

bumpuser9058414 · February 2014

Minnow1984 said:

My HR said I'm not allowed to put "maternity leave" in my out of office- only "leave", because adding maternity is considered too personal of information. Anyone else? I've never heard of this before and think it's really weird.

That's a good point actually, I might just put that I will be out on leave and unavailable from date to date.

Thanks @perkyerky that sounds like a good plan. Even if it's a week late, at least I'll have it up at some point.

SassyFlats · February 2014

Minnow1984 said:
My HR said I'm not allowed to put "maternity leave" in my out of office- only "leave", because adding maternity is considered too personal of information. Anyone else? I've never heard of this before and think it's really weird.

we don't have an hr department, but it would be too personal for my comfort, for sure.

ufsandra85 · February 2014

my outlook away message says "I will be in and out of the office until I take maternity leave. I will be back i the office on a full time basis the last week of April. Please contact LT ____ if you need assistance with anything before this time:

codec · February 2014

Mine was something alobg the libes of:
I will be out of the office until *date. Please contact *department for immediate assistance. (000) 000-0000

I think adding maternity or leave was too personal. I really did not want people all up in my business. Plus it also seemed like everyone would be talking about how much leave I got compared to how much they got.

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