To joke or not to joke?: How to write a good out-of-office message
Experts provide guidance on crafting professional out-of-office email replies, emphasizing clarity and conciseness. The advice warns against oversharing personal details or using humor that could be perceived as unprofessional.
Why it matters
Effective workplace communication is essential for maintaining professional boundaries and operational efficiency during employee absences.
Image source, Getty Images By Daniel Thomas Business reporter Published 7 hours ago You're finally about to head off on a well-earned break, but there's one more task to tick off your to-do list: composing an out-of-office reply.
Many will be all too familiar with debating how much information to include and how available you will be - and whether to inject some personality into your message, or even risk cracking a joke.
Experts say there are clear dos and don'ts when it comes to writing an out-of-office message (OOO) - and getting it wrong can have more serious consequences than you might think. Here are their rules to penning the perfect out-of-office reply.
Debretts, an etiquette consultancy, says a good automatic reply should be polite and concise, give a specific return date, and provide another point of contact if appropriate.
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