Why The ‘Out Of Office’ Email Is Dead

I love holidays, but I hate missing opportunities. Unfortunately, the two often go hand in hand, with that automatic ‘out of the office’ email sure to send exciting offers and ideas elsewhere, writes Legal Cheek tech correspondent i@n davison.

Does it have to be like this? This year, I’ll be keeping my ‘out of the office’ off. Instead, I have composed a new automated response that better sums up my situation:

“I’m in relax mode right now, but that doesn’t mean not prioritising you. I’ll be online during this entire relaxation period: please connect with me.”

An ability to receive emails – and, maybe more importantly in these 3G days, to be alerted to them immediately – is key when you approach the holiday period in this way. That’s where Bluetooth comes in…

Two years ago, when I got down on one knee and asked my beautiful wife to marry me, I presented her with an engagement ring encrusted not just with precious stones, but with Bluetooth. So no more missing correspondence for Diane, as the gems in the ring flash whenever she receives an email, text or call. This year, I treated myself to a similar device – but in belt form, with an added vibrate capacity to make double sure I don’t miss any of those emails.

The belt is fully waterproof, and looks just as good with trunks as it does wrapped around a pair of jeans. Having trialled it in the pool at the gym, and received an email from a particularly valued internal client while swimming – which I was able to respond to immediately from my iPhone in the changing room, before returning to my front crawl – I’m really looking forward to actioning it on the beach.

Extra tip: when you respond to an email while out of the office, take a snap of your surroundings, upload it to Twitpic or Instagram, and then paste in a link to give your words a visual dimension.

i@n davison is a senior in-house lawyer at a leading global solutions management company. There is more from i@n here.