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Out of office email responders serve two purposes: They let people know you’re not at work, and they offer some helpful instructions should the sender require immediate assistance. As many office workers worked remotely during the pandemic, several started using OOOs for another purpose: protecting personal time.
“An OOO reply is a clever and easy way to signal boundaries to colleagues when focus is needed,” says Nici Bush, global vice president of workplace transformation for the food manufacturer Mars Inc. “Having an OOO that establishes boundaries and preferences allows us to be more productive while also achieving balance and respecting each other’s time.”
While you could use a generic message, some of the more effective OOO messages are unique to the individual and their goals. For example, you could communicate your working hours and preferences outside the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday. Or you could establish expectations about the speed of replies.
Bush says she sees employees adding similar information to their email signatures, especially when they work nontraditional business hours. One example is, “I’m sending this email now because it suits how I balance my working hours. I don’t expect that you will read, respond to, or action this email outside of the hours that work for you.”
While many autoresponders were added when we were all working remotely, they can also help support the hybrid working model. Hybrid and remote arrangements have generated more emails since employees miss out on the in-person moments that were conducive to sharing information. OOO messages can be a good vehicle for establishing working hours as well as in-office schedules, especially if they change each week.
“Having an OOO while working from home has become even more important to help us communicate when we’re ‘off’ and ‘on,’” says Bush. “Before, it was more obvious when you could be seen at your desk. An OOO can signify how we choose to work flexibly to suit our lifestyle needs and work the most productively.”
Infusing Humor
As the pandemic blurred the lines between personal and professional lives, more employees started using humorous OOO messages to share a little of their lives outside of work.
“Humor is a great way to show a bit of personality and connect with our colleagues,” says Bush. “Allowing a glimpse behind the curtain creates understanding and trust in teams. Funny OOOs are not new, but they have become more frequently used since the pandemic.”
For example, Ryan Bartholomew, director of Mars Veterinary Health, created this OOO message: “I’m out of the virtual office, returning July 6. If you see a response during this time, it’s from my dog Cindy. Please ignore requests for food.”
And Kevin Rabinovitch, global vice president of sustainability, set this one: “I’m on holiday break until 4 Jan. If you get an email from me before then my laptop must have achieved the singularity and is now running the show.”
Humor and personalization are also helpful for humanizing discussions, adds Bush. It can feel easier to set boundaries and put an end to the “always-on” cycle when you’re able to lighten up the situation.
COVID-19 has sparked the biggest workforce experiment in modern history as we are no longer confined to one physical space, says Bush.
“Our homes have turned into ‘offices,’ so the boundary between what we call an office has changed,” she says. “While changing OOO or email signatures may seem like small actions, they can greatly impact building mutual respect and understanding between colleagues and partners.”
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