Weekends are usually fun. They come as a welcome break from the typical working week. But you should know how to welcome people back into the office after a weekend of relaxation or fun.
So, you need to know how to say “I hope you had a great weekend” in an email.
There are plenty of alternatives available. Try to sound professional and friendly at the same time when you use a phrase like it.
Can I Say “I Hope You Had a Great Weekend”?
You can say “I hope you had a great weekend.” It is professional and suitable for most business emails after starting work on Monday.
We recommend using it as a formal email opener. It’s highly effective and lets you immediately set a positive and friendly tone.
Here’s a useful example if you’re still unsure about how it works:
I hope you had a great weekend. There are some new tasks for you to get to work on.
Pros
- It’s polite and friendly.
- It’s a great professional email opener that sets a positive tone.
Cons
- It’s generic.
- It’s impersonal, meaning you could write it to anybody without needing to be friendly.
“I hope you had a great weekend” is certainly a useful choice in formal emails. Although, we do recommend having a few alternatives ready to mix things up.
Keep reading to learn a different way to say “I hope you had a great weekend.” We’ve covered all the best synonyms to help you here.
What to Say Instead of “I Hope You Had a Great Weekend”
- I hope the weekend treated you well
- I hope you had a relaxing weekend
- I hope you made the most of your weekend
- I hope your weekend was good
- Welcome back to the office
- Welcome back to work!
- How was your weekend?
- Did you get up to much over the weekend?
- Did you have a great weekend?
- I hope you had the best weekend
1. I Hope the Weekend Treated You Well
First, you can use “I hope the weekend treated you well.” It’s an excellent choice to include as a formal email opener.
We recommend using it when emailing employers. It’s a good way to keep the conversation light before getting into more professional topics.
For instance, you may have applied for a job last week and left it for the weekend before asking about it. You can start a follow-up email with this phrase on Monday to find out if there’s an update.
Here’s a great example to show you how it works:
Dear Mr. Chisel,
I hope the weekend treated you well. Have you heard any more about my application status?
All the best,
Amy Cringle
2. I Hope You Had a Relaxing Weekend
Everyone wants to relax on their weekend away from work. It’s part of the reason why people enjoy their weekends so much.
Therefore, “I hope you had a relaxing weekend” is great to include in professional emails. You can’t go wrong with it, especially if you know someone well enough to discuss their weekend antics.
Try using it when emailing your boss. It’s a useful choice because it shows that you respect their stressful work schedule and want to know whether they’re making the most of their time outside of work.
This example should also show you how to use it:
Dear Mr. Dickens,
I hope you had a relaxing weekend. Could you please share the list of names that you would like to put forward for promotion?
Best,
Adam Duncan
3. I Hope You Made the Most of Your Weekend
You might not know exactly what someone gets up to over the weekend. However, it’s still worth encouraging them to have the best time when the weekend comes by.
Try using “I hope you made the most of your weekend” as another way to say “I hope you had a great weekend.”
It’s highly effective because it shows you value someone’s wellbeing and want them to enjoy their time outside of work.
So, you can use it as the first thing you say on Monday when everyone’s back at the office. It’s a polite and friendly way to open an email.
Check out the following email example if you’re still unsure:
Dear Alexia,
I hope you made the most of your weekend. It seems we have a few system faults that need addressing.
Yours,
Harold Readily
4. I Hope Your Weekend Was Good
The weekend is over now. That’s a shame! But hopefully, you made the most of it. Even better, hopefully, your customers made the most of it.
But how do you know whether your customers enjoyed their weekend?
Try “I hope your weekend was good.” It’s an excellent way to introduce yourself in an email.
We recommend using it because it’s quite friendly and polite. It allows you to discuss the weekend with your customers. This creates a good conversation that might keep your customers more engaged.
You can also review this sample email:
Dear Mr. Tiny,
I hope your weekend was good. Please indicate whether you’re interested in the new product we have on offer.
All the best,
Joseph Martissa
5. Welcome Back to the Office
Monday to Friday jobs can be difficult at times. Of course, there’s always the weekend to look forward to. But that usually means people will be back at the office every Monday.
Therefore, you can use “welcome back to the office.” It’s a great introductory phrase to use on a Monday.
It keeps things light-hearted and friendly between the recipient and you. We highly recommend it if you’re looking for a more conversational alternative.
Also, this phrase allows you to open an email lightly before going into usual work requests.
For instance, you can ask someone to complete a project, but it sounds less demanding if you start with “welcome back to the office.”
Here’s a great sample email if you’re still unsure about it:
Dear Howard,
Welcome back to the office. Is there anything else you need to do before you finalize the project I set last week?
Best regards,
Kim Adams
6. Welcome Back to Work!
To make things even more conversational, try “welcome back to work!” This is an incredibly fun and friendly way to welcome someone back after the weekend.
Of course, it doesn’t directly state anything about the weekend. However, the implication is that someone took a few days off over the weekend and is back in the office on Monday.
This works well when emailing colleagues. It’s very friendly and keeps things more jovial between you.
Also, you can review this email example:
Dear Thomas,
Welcome back to work! I’m sure the weekend treated you well. Now, we have to continue with the team projects.
Yours,
Duncan Willis
7. How Was Your Weekend?
It may even be worth asking a question at the start of your email. Asking a question like “how was your weekend?” encourages the recipient to respond.
So, if you’re sharing important information with them, you may want to encourage them with a question. That way, they’ll answer your question and then review the rest of the information.
Try it when emailing employees. It shows you’d like to keep things friendly first, but you’d still like to discuss work issues with them after.
Feel free to review this email sample as well:
Dear Ruth,
How was your weekend? Please let me know when you’re available for a meeting this week.
Kind regards,
Charlie Hill
8. Did You Get Up to Much Over the Weekend?
Another great question to include is “did you get up to much over the weekend?” It’s a great way to learn about someone personally, especially if they’re willing to share.
This can work when emailing coworkers. It shows you’re keen to hear about their lives outside of the workplace.
Of course, it would help to know a little more about your coworker before using this. That way, you can start a more friendly discussion with them while keeping the email work-related.
If you’re still stumped, review this example:
Dear Maria,
Did you get up to much over the weekend? I’m still waiting to hear back from our client to decide what to do next.
All the best,
Sean Kingston
9. Did You Have a Great Weekend?
“Did you have a great weekend?” is another great question to use. It shows that you’re interested in hearing about someone’s weekend.
It works best on a Monday once everyone is back to work. That way, it shows you’re interested in hearing about someone’s life, but you also need to discuss work matters.
There’s nothing wrong with opening an email with a more friendly question before getting on to more pressing topics.
We also recommend reviewing this example:
Dear Melissa,
Did you have a great weekend? I’m keen to meet with you this week to discuss the changeover plans.
Yours,
William Hugh
10. I Hope You Had the Best Weekend
Of course, “best” is the superlative form of “good.” Therefore, saying “I hope you had the best weekend” is a more positive and friendly way of saying “I hope you had a great weekend.”
It shows that you truly hope someone had a great time over the weekend.
We highly recommend it when emailing customers. It shows you really care about them and their personal life.
The better a company treats its customers, the more likely they’ll be to stick around! So, phrases like this are bound to set your emails apart from other companies.
Here is a quick email sample to show you how it works:
Dear Michael,
I hope you had the best weekend. Please let me know when you’ve completed last week’s task, as I have a new one to offer.
Yours,
Daniel Bradford