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AIBU?

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Original poster

best out of office message youve seen

104 replies

SirQuintusAureliusMaximus · 23/12/2023 21:18

this is quality and I'm in awe of the bravery.

I am out of the office until Wednesday 3rd January 2024 and will have little / no interest in work during that time. In my absence please contact my colleague [name].

OP posts:
Snipples · 23/12/2023 23:18

Years ago a trainee I knew was working in an international office and asked a legal PA to put his out of office on. She simply wrote "I no in". He came back to 575 emails, most of which were people emailing him just to get the out of office.

I put last year "I'm now out of the office but will be checking emails periodically until my return. Please note I will have childcare responsibilities for my young children during working hours so may respond in the evening". I was told I was "brave" by a partner at another firm for being so candid.

I'd love to just write, I'm not working, kindly fuck off but unfortunately that's frowned upon.

Switchingoff · 23/12/2023 23:22

Ashleysaidwhat · 23/12/2023 22:50

It's not an interesting approach it's how emails (when ooo of more than a few days) should be dealt with.

Mines says

I'm out the office until x. If your email is urgent forward you email to y.

All emails will be deleted on my return.

Thanks

I have an ooo so contact them 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

And what if it’s important but not urgent?

QueSyrahSyrah · 23/12/2023 23:22

edwinbear · 23/12/2023 23:10

Would be really frowned upon where I work. We’re expected to be professional and courteous to both internal and external clients. If I received a ‘humorous’ OOO when I was e mailing someone, I’d judge them professionally once they were back.

Sounds like a fun place to work HmmWink

There are 14 of us in total in my workplace all office based. Internal OOO's are largely redundant as we can literally see if someone isn't in the office at any given time. So we make them silly in hopes of bringing a smile.

StarlightLime · 23/12/2023 23:22

Snipples · 23/12/2023 23:18

Years ago a trainee I knew was working in an international office and asked a legal PA to put his out of office on. She simply wrote "I no in". He came back to 575 emails, most of which were people emailing him just to get the out of office.

I put last year "I'm now out of the office but will be checking emails periodically until my return. Please note I will have childcare responsibilities for my young children during working hours so may respond in the evening". I was told I was "brave" by a partner at another firm for being so candid.

I'd love to just write, I'm not working, kindly fuck off but unfortunately that's frowned upon.

Was that a language thing, or some sort of "teen" speak?

AcrossthePond55 · 23/12/2023 23:24

Mine. And the happiest message I've ever heard, too.

"You have reached the former desk of Mrs Pond. As of today <insert date> I have retired. To determine who is now handling your case, please call <manager's name and number> as she is in charge of reassigning my caseload."

Manager HATED having to speak to the public, she was much too 'senior' to have to deal with the great unwashed. She'd also dragged her feet on reassigning my caseload so as of my last day nothing had been reassigned, other than a few special cases I'd quietly handed off to a couple of coworkers myself. I'd given 3 months notice of my retirement date and she'd done nothing.

GuinnessBird · 23/12/2023 23:31

We have to be professional so no chance of 'funny' messages where I work however many moons ago at another company I basically did this:

I removed my signature from auto responses and said at the end of the OOO "If it’s an emergency, call my mobile.” And then didn’t include the number. If they didn’t have my mobile number, then they didn't have an emergency.

EarringsandLipstick · 23/12/2023 23:34

I put last year "I'm now out of the office but will be checking emails periodically until my return. Please note I will have childcare responsibilities for my young children during working hours so may respond in the evening". I was told I was "brave" by a partner at another firm for being so candid.

This is a really annoying out-of-office.

You are either out or not. If your company has an awful policy of employees monitoring emails while on leave (which will not be permitted in the EU shortly), then just do so. Don't give half-replies about being on leave but replying in the evening.

I'd feel really uncertain about emailing you, not wanting to disturb your leave or expect you to reply in the evening.

Whereas with a standard OOO, the sender can either wait for a reply on your return or follow up with the nominated contact in your email.

HazelWicker · 23/12/2023 23:36

Where I worked a few years ago, someone had an out of office which said something like:

Thanks for emailing. My inbox is unmanageable when I am in the office and anything received when I am out of office will be deleted. If you still need to get in contact when I am back, please email me then.

CountTo10 · 23/12/2023 23:38

mynameiscalypso · 23/12/2023 21:24

I know a few people who have one that says something along the lines of all emails will be deleted so if it's important, re-send it in January.

Yes. I had a colleague who used to send this one. Would delete all emails on his return from leave. It wasn't meant to be amusing just fact.

EarringsandLipstick · 23/12/2023 23:44

HazelWicker · 23/12/2023 23:36

Where I worked a few years ago, someone had an out of office which said something like:

Thanks for emailing. My inbox is unmanageable when I am in the office and anything received when I am out of office will be deleted. If you still need to get in contact when I am back, please email me then.

That's so unprofessional. It's not other people's responsibility to manage his email challenges.

TeenLifeMum · 23/12/2023 23:49

I’ve seen doctors at work write

“I’m on leave and any emails sent during this period will be deleted. If your request requires a response, please email when I’m back in the office.”

I would never get away with that and have to spend my first 2 days after leave working through emails and identifying what is outstanding and what was sorted in my absence. I’m a little in awe of the doctors’ stance.

EarringsandLipstick · 23/12/2023 23:52

I can sort of understand the doctors' approach, given most medical matters need a quick resolution. For most other people, no.

Tilllly · 23/12/2023 23:54

I had a very annoying colleague who frequently put OOO on when she was in!!

"X is very busy at present and will try to read your email in the coming weeks"

I wanted to smack her every time I saw her

EarringsandLipstick · 23/12/2023 23:57

Tilllly · 23/12/2023 23:54

I had a very annoying colleague who frequently put OOO on when she was in!!

"X is very busy at present and will try to read your email in the coming weeks"

I wanted to smack her every time I saw her

Oh yes! I work with someone in another institution who does this:
'I'm currently receiving a very large volume of emails and will respond to you in due course'.

It's incredibly annoying - which of us says, 'gosh I'm getting far too few emails at the moment'.

BitOutOfPractice · 23/12/2023 23:59

I always write my own ooo. Sometimes funny, sometimes not, always factual eg I’ll be checking messages or not, when I’ll be back. If you find that “tiresome” or “unprofessional” I don’t care. Take it up with my boss (me) and know that if you find it inappropriate you’re not my kind of client.

Snipples · 24/12/2023 00:02

@StarlightLime I think it was a language thing and also the local custom was never to have an out of office so it was not the done thing

@EarringsandLipstick there's no one else to do the stuff unfortunately so it's work in the evening or the client isn't getting it for a week or more. I can't hand my matters over, especially at Christmas when everyone else is off too.

The out of office doesn't seem to make a blind bit of difference. Just today I've been asked about joining a call on 2 Jan when OOO clearly says I'm not back til the 4th (they're aware of this as have emailed several times while I've been off already). I've had to explain that they'll need to wait until the kids are in bed or they expect me to be drafting during the day and get pissy when I can't. I'm a lawyer and tbh being off is more bloody hassle than it's worth at times. Planning on changing roles soon.

Avacardo2023 · 24/12/2023 00:03

We aren't allowed humorous ones at work but I have received a couple recently that made me smile.

ERROR 404 - Employee Not Found
(Try again next year)

Knock knock
Who's there?
NOT ME!!
I'm OOO until 5th January

DyslexicPoster · 24/12/2023 00:03

My sons disability SWs is "I'm on leave until the 25th of April and will respond when I return" I'm never sure if she is still on holiday or never switched it off

EarringsandLipstick · 24/12/2023 00:05

BitOutOfPractice · 23/12/2023 23:59

I always write my own ooo. Sometimes funny, sometimes not, always factual eg I’ll be checking messages or not, when I’ll be back. If you find that “tiresome” or “unprofessional” I don’t care. Take it up with my boss (me) and know that if you find it inappropriate you’re not my kind of client.

Who are you quoting?

I don't think anyone has a problem with different types of OOO styles, but they should be helpful to the client. If they aren't, it's not a great sign of the approach you take to business.

EarringsandLipstick · 24/12/2023 00:07

@Snipples

I'm glad you are going to change roles; that sounds awful. Regardless of your job, you need to be able to have defined time off.

My comment was really about the confusing nature of your OOO - that you are off but checking email but only in the evenings. I'd be uncertain about emailing at all then - but I know you say your clients ignore it anyway!

Morrisons01 · 24/12/2023 00:14

We are currently traversing a portal to another galaxy where is seems holidays are mandatory, as a result we will be back in the office on 2nd Jan

SoWhat21 · 24/12/2023 00:19

I find this infuriating. OOO are meant to be a source of information for people trying to contact you in a professional capacity not some sort of frat boy joke opportunity
Let me know when you’re back and who to contact if It can’t wait until then

Closerandcloser · 24/12/2023 00:23

One of my recent colleagues kept putting an out of office message on, every weekend without fail.
Detailing when he is off, when he returns, when he’ll deal with their queries
We don’t work weekends.

BitOutOfPractice · 24/12/2023 00:25

@EarringsandLipstick you can read back yourself to see which pp said tiresome and which said unprofessional.

like I said, my ooo always say when I’ll be back, what to do if it’s urgent, and whether or not I’ll be reading emails while I’m away. They just don’t always follow a corporate template / be deadly serious.

and yes, it shows the approach I take to business. Which is personal and personable and has served me well for 25 years.

BitOutOfPractice · 24/12/2023 00:29

And fwiw I haven’t put one on for Christmas as all my clients and suppliers are also away till 2 January and will assume I am too.