After I tweeted this example, dozens of people sent me examples of OOO messages they’d set or particularly good examples they’d seen in the wild. One example from a boss (via a TikTok) who offers emailers a decision tree of sorts. “Option 1.) Wait it out. Ask yourself, ‘is this urgent and important?’ If not, take a beat…you and I will be better off with this expectation set now,” the email begins. This one stands out because it’s extremely detailed, manages expectations and also offers who to contact in different situations. It models good behavior of taking time off, but also gives the original sender a variety of option. Most importantly, the responder forces the original sender to assess whether this is actually an urgent request.
Anybody that might need me that quickly should have access to my calendar and can see I’m in a meeting. Anybody that can’t see my calendar shouldn’t expect a reply in an hour unless I’d said I’d be available or something.

With all that in mind, here are some templates for effective automatic responses to those inside and outside your company: 5 Cybersecurity Professionals Your IT Team Needs How deep is your IT security bench strength? Check out this lineup of five types of cybersecurity professionals to confirm you have all the bases covered... Trying to figure out how to hire remote workers? Read Robert Half’s tips on finding and hiring remote staff when you can’t meet in person. Is writing a cover letter a thing of the past for job seekers? Far from it. Discover how you can convince hiring managers to call you for an interview. Business Ethics Corporate Responsibility Security & Data Privacy Fraud Alert Government Notice Privacy Policy Terms of Use
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