How to Write a Holiday Schedule Announcement for Staff and Customers

Every year, someone emails a client on 23 December and gets no reply until 5 January, without warning. Every year, a staff member is unsure whether the 27th is a working day. A clear holiday schedule announcement prevents both, and it takes ten minutes to write well.

The two audiences need different messages. Staff need to know when they work and who covers what. Customers need to know when you are reachable and what to do if something goes wrong.

The Staff Announcement

Include:

• Closure dates, with days of the week.
• Reduced-hours days, with exact times.
• Who is on call or covering, and how to reach them.
• Deadlines for leave requests if cover is limited.
• Anything people must do before they leave: handovers, out-of-office messages, shutdown steps.

Before:

Office closed over xmas as usual, back in Jan, let me know if any questions. Remember to put your OOO on.

After:

Our holiday schedule this year:

• Office closed from Thursday 24 December to Friday 1 January inclusive.
• Normal hours resume Monday 4 January.
• IT support is on call on 29 and 30 December, 10:00 to 14:00, at the usual helpdesk number.
• Please submit any leave for 22 and 23 December by 14 November, as we need two people covering the support inbox those days.
• Before you leave, set your out-of-office message and share any open client issues with your team lead.

Every question someone might ask is answered, with dates and days.

The Customer Announcement

Include:

• When you are closed or on reduced hours.
• How to get help during that time, if at all.
• Deadlines that matter: last order dates, last day for requests to be handled this year.
• When normal service resumes.

Before:

We’ll be closed for the holidays, see you in the new year!

After:

Our office will be closed from 24 December to 1 January. During that time:

• Urgent technical issues: email support@example.com with “URGENT” in the subject. We check it twice a day.
• Orders placed after 19 December will ship from 4 January.
• Requests received after 22 December will be answered from 4 January. We return to normal hours on Monday 4 January. Thank you for working with us this year.

Customers know exactly what will and will not happen, which prevents frustrated emails later.

Timing

• Staff: early November, so people can plan leave.
• Customers: early December, then a reminder a week before closing, and on your website and support pages.
• Out-of-office messages should repeat the essentials. See how to write a professional out-of-office message.

Check Your Legal Obligations

Public holidays and whether staff are entitled to them as paid leave vary by country and contract. In the UK, for example, GOV.UK lists bank holidays by nation, and entitlements depend on contracts. If closure days come out of annual leave, say so clearly and in advance.

Inclusive Wording

Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and many teams span cultures. “Holiday closure” or “year-end closure” works for everyone. Mention specific holidays only as dates.

A Context For Announcements

A Wrivio Context for schedule announcements could say:

Rewrite this as a clear schedule announcement. Friendly, organised, and scannable, using a short bulleted list for dates and actions. Include the day of the week with each date. Keep every date, time, name, contact and deadline exactly as written. Do not add closures, services or promises that are not in the original.

Press Ctrl+Shift+Space, paste your rough notes, and check every date and day of the week against a calendar. Mismatched days are the most common error in these messages. See how to announce a new process at work for longer announcements.

Common Questions

How early should I announce holiday closures to customers?

At least two to three weeks before closing, with a reminder a few days before. Customers with deadlines need time to plan.

Should the holiday schedule go on our website?

Yes. Add it to your contact page and support pages, and put a banner on the homepage if your business is customer-facing.

What if we are not fully closed?

Say exactly what runs and what does not: reduced hours, which teams are available, response times. “Limited service” without detail creates more questions than it answers.

Do I need to mention emergency contacts?

If customers might have urgent issues, yes. Give one clear route and set honest expectations about response times.

Download Wrivio for Windows to turn rough holiday plans into clear announcements for staff and customers.