Whether the cause is months of mounting pressure, a Sisyphean inbox or the insult of meetings insistently scheduled before 10 a.m., there’s nothing more tantalizing than the thought of escaping work for a week, in my case to a cottage with no Wi-Fi. Cue the out-of-office email. In theory, its premise is to let colleagues and correspondents know when you’ll be back and who to contact with urgent queries in the meantime. In practice, however, the etiquette surrounding out-of-office responses varies—often to quite wild and, worse, wacky extremes. It is telling that some employers require a simple “I’ll reply in a week, ” while others seemingly expect the precise geolocation of where you can be found if clients can’t wait until tomorrow. This story is from Kinfolk Issue Forty-Two Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 51 Emily Gernild The Danish painter breathing new life into an old medium. Arts & Culture Food Issue 51 Imogen Kwok The artist takes food styling quite literally, creating accessories out of fruits and vegetables. Arts & Culture Design Issue 51 How to Make a Chair And do it on a tiny budget. Arts & Culture Issue 51 Odd Jobs The comedian with strong opinions about your home décor. Arts & Culture Issue 51 Tall Order The hidden depths of height. Arts & Culture Films Issue 51 Vicky Krieps An interview with the actor.
Arts & Culture Food Issue 51 Imogen Kwok The artist takes food styling quite literally, creating accessories out of fruits and vegetables.
