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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What does your work email OOO say?

131 replies

YawnyMcdawny · 06/08/2023 17:16

If you have a job that requires you to put an email Out Of Office reply on, what do you put?

I recently put something like 'I am on annual leave with no access to my emails and will respond when I return on date. If query is urgent please contact person x'

Some of my colleagues write 'leave me a message on my mobile and I will respond'.

I'm thinking it's annual leave and I am on holiday. The world won't fall apart if I don't answer, and neither will my colleagues btw.

Our general manager works whilst she's on holiday, replies to emails and messages very quickly within a few hours usually. it doesn't set a great example for the rest of the company who actually want to switch off. She gets a bit sarky if someone puts a proper ooo message and then doesn't actually check their emails whilst they are off.

AIBU to think I should be able to take time off without having to work?

what do you put as your ooo and do you respond to emails whilst away? If so why? If you're being honest, what would happen if you delegated your work to someone else?

Obviously if you run your own business or are self employed I know this will sit differently! I'm talking about being employed by a company where you get paid holidays.

OP posts:
LisaD1 · 06/08/2023 20:08

Mine is pretty much the same as yours. My company are very hot on being off when off so people just don’t contact each other when off. It’s absolute bliss after working for years in a company that had zero respect for time off.

iolaus · 06/08/2023 20:09

Mine says along the lines of 'Sorry I am out of the office, I should return on X date. If you need anyone urgently before this date please contact Y or Z on 11111111

FooFighter99 · 06/08/2023 20:10

Mine states that I’m on leave and will return on x date. Please ring blah if it’s urgent

I absolutely do not get paid enough to answer calls or emails if I’m on leave! 🤣

LutherRalph1 · 06/08/2023 20:10

I once got an ooo reply from somebody that just said "week off" which tickled me

ArcticSkewer · 06/08/2023 20:14

half the time i don't put it on, a quarter of the time I say that there may be a delay in my reply with emergency contacts if required, and a quarter of the time I know nothing important will crop up so i just put annual leave/return date/alternative contacts.

It's not relaxing for me if I am not up to date on emails

PinkTonic · 06/08/2023 20:15

Mine says I’m on leave and please contact Xxx if urgent etc. I’m not supposed to take my phone abroad without prior agreement for the same reason a pp said. I am senior and if some massive crisis happened my deputy would theoretically WhatsApp me on my personal phone but it’s never happened.

Cheezecake · 06/08/2023 20:16

pretend you're French. They appear to understand the meaning of holiday.

owins · 06/08/2023 20:17

I don't even say I don't have access to emails, seems implied to me (only time I say that is if I'm at a conference or similar and as such have limited access) but when I'm out of office, I'm OUT!

Glittertwins · 06/08/2023 20:18

My OOO directs people to my manager or the service desk.
I don't have a company mobile phone so my contact details are not available. My manager has my number but would never contact me on leave..

Crispyturtle · 06/08/2023 20:21

Mine says ‘I’m on leave until xxxxx. I will not be checking emails during my leave’ I couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for anything more than that.

one of my colleagues says ‘I am on leave pondering the environmental impact of email, please do the same and consider if you needed to send this email’ He is very senior and charming so he gets away with it 😆

Cyllie33 · 06/08/2023 20:23

Oh god, don’t ever say ‘I’ll reply to your email on my return’! What if you don’t want to or can’t be arsed?

I always just say ‘I’m away on annual leave until X date’.

that leaves me free to respond if I check my email while on leave and want to reply, or not if not.

if I’m absolutely in the midst of something I would leave a colleague’s contact details…but my work generally frowns on me taking leave mid project and tbf I find it better to take leave between projects so it works for us

Burningthroughthesky · 06/08/2023 20:24

I saw one once that said something like:

"I am annual leave until [insert date] and will not be accessing my emails. If your email is important, please send it again after this date. All emails received before this date will be deleted on my return. In my absence, please contact Joe Bloggs."

Amazing!

RLmadmum · 06/08/2023 20:25

Mine is something along the lines of "I'm currently on maternity leave until November 2023, please contact the following personnel in by absence:"

Not gonna lie, logged on cheekily the other month and the amount of emails I had were ridiculous, one of them being "I haven't had a reply to this yet..." 😑

Lostinplaces · 06/08/2023 20:26

Same as yours. They can fuck right off if they think I’m working for free.

JustMarriedBecca · 06/08/2023 20:30

Management here.

In my last job it was expected I'd be checking emails. I've since moved to a different company (bigger, more status) and it's completely the opposite. Would be frowned upon to check emails and big focus on healthy work life boundaries. I'm required to set an example and delegate and brief appropriately before I go.

Sometimes smaller companies try and play with the big boys and girls and get it so badly wrong.

Oopsididitagaintomorrow · 06/08/2023 20:41

Pretty much same as yours. If we are at a crucial stage of a big case or the like I will say "please note your email will not be read in my absence. If an urgent response is required, please forward to xxxxx'

Mutabiliss · 06/08/2023 20:46

Mine is out of office until X, for urgent queries please contact X. We wouldn't be allowed to say we're checking emails, we're expected to switch off and have a break. I do occasionally check if there's something big going on, but I would almost certainly not reply to someone external - I'd just let someone internal know how to respond and let them deal with it.

I have also seen an OOO that said they would delete everything on their return. Much respect, I wish I could!

Marmalade71 · 06/08/2023 20:48

I do really struggle with holidays. I work in a sales delivery role on time sensitive projects and if we're not able to bill the relevant stage of our process in the forecasted month it's me who loses out and too many misses will ultimately lose me my job. I work for a decent employer but they can't change the fundamentals of the industry.
I often read threads from women furious that their partners are taking calls and working on holiday and wonder if they are in some kind of sales or similar role. Sadly there are some jobs where being unavailable for 4 weeks a year will seriously reduce the chances of success. So I don't actually have an OOO that is much different from most on this thread - I don't promise a response or share my number but realistically everyone involved in a process or deal will have my contacts anyway. and I'm always available.

User6424678852 · 06/08/2023 20:50

I used to give an explanation about no access to email etc. Now it’s just a very simple “I am on leave and will return on 1st September”.

6WeekCountdown · 06/08/2023 20:58

Same as yours, a return date and alternative email to contact if it's urgent (the group inbox the entire team can see). I'm not allowed to take my work laptop abroad and I don't have my emails set up on my phone (intentionally) so there's no way for me to check emails. I'm not expected to anyway.

UsingChangeofName · 06/08/2023 21:01

Mine is very much like yours.

It always was, but in last couple of years, we've had e-mail reminders from our Manager of that wording.

Of course AL is AL.

Interesting a few points made about 'not being paid enough' to check emails when on leave, or 'not senior enough'
If you think that, then what is the annual salary you'd expect someone to check or respond to emails when on annual leave?

I'm a senior Manager, and believe strongly that AL is AL. That Non working days are non-working days. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do sometime choose to work in to the evening, or on a NWD when it suits me but that doesn't happen when I am away on holiday, and there is no expectation that anyone else should.

Original poster
YawnyMcdawny · 06/08/2023 21:06

Aaron95 · 06/08/2023 19:58

Depends how senior you are. If any of our office staff are off we would not expect them to do any work whatsoever but we do forward their Email to someone else in case something is urgent.

I'm the general manager and could do the same but prefer to keep in touch when on holiday but that's my choice and I would never expect any of my staff to do so.

@Aaron95 interesting. Do you make it clear to your team and all other staff that you don't expect them to check or reply to emails whilst on leave? Do you ever contact others (even just sending an email) whilst they are on leave?

I find it disingenuous that a GM says that they work during annual leave, but doesn't expect anyone else too. It's literally setting the example and shaping the culture of the whole organisation.
Very much a case of Do as I say, not do as I do

OP posts:
Coffeaddict · 06/08/2023 21:16

Mine is like yours.

I'm a lecturer and do not want my students to have my personal phone number.

I do however keep an eye on my email at times when I probably should actually switch off 😅

Littleoxforddictionary · 06/08/2023 21:54

I hate long convoluted ooo responses, especially with stupid bossy instructions. I have it down to absolute minimum.

i will be back on xxx. If urgent contact xxxxxxx.
That's all anyone needs or wants to know.

Aaron95 · 06/08/2023 22:00

YawnyMcdawny · 06/08/2023 21:06

@Aaron95 interesting. Do you make it clear to your team and all other staff that you don't expect them to check or reply to emails whilst on leave? Do you ever contact others (even just sending an email) whilst they are on leave?

I find it disingenuous that a GM says that they work during annual leave, but doesn't expect anyone else too. It's literally setting the example and shaping the culture of the whole organisation.
Very much a case of Do as I say, not do as I do

Show quote history

No I don't contact staff when on annual leave. And nor do I expect them to deal with any work stuff either. Practically none have the means to access Emails when out of the office anyway.

Of course people get sent Emails when on holiday but I don't expect them to be read until they return. If something is time critical it is dealt with by someone else.