Annual leave | What should you put in your Out of Office email?

It’s a fantastic feeling seeing the clock hit home time and setting your Out of Office (OOO) reply to ‘on’, knowing that at least for a while, you won’t have to be shackled to your inbox, replying to every repetitive message that comes your way.

Despite being an absolutely essential tool in business, the monotony of the constantly refilling work inbox is symptomatic of the ‘always on’ culture that’s so prevalent in a lot of companies. The obligation to reply ASAP, to check your incoming messages every five minutes – and even the temptation – or obligation – to check it outside of the workday.

What’s more, it’s inevitable that your brief time away from work, which is your right as an employee, will be the source of much frustration externally. We’ve entered into an age of work culture in which people demand answers at the drop of a hat and feel personally affronted when that simply isn’t possible. If you’re lucky, you’ll return to an inbox brimming with non-time-sensitive emails; if you’re unlucky, you’ll return to a barrage of messages demanding an explanation for your radio silence.

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This is why it’s essential to approach the only contact you’re going to have with those emailing you with caution and consideration. The ‘Out of Office’ may be an afterthought for those preoccupied by the thought of a sunny beach far away from the office, but getting your message right is serious business, and may alleviate the stress that you’re inevitably going to return to.