Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Everyone knows that taking leave from work means a frantic tying up of loose ends and a sprint to the finish that is so stressful you begin to wonder why you booked time off in the first place. It is a fitful period of cramming and planning, occasionally interrupted by office small talk about where you’re off to: “Somewhere fun, I hope?”In that final week you stay late and work ahead, preparing for every possible situation that might arise in your absence until, mercifully, all bases are covered. Having worked yourself into a frenzy, you are free to leave; all that remains is switching on an out-of-office automatic reply. Simple, right? Wrong.Our always-on culture is out of control, but with the proper out-of-office response it’s possible to claw back some of your sanity.Credit: Dionne GainIn the age of constant connectivity, getting the tone right on your out-of-office has never been more critical. Too casual and you risk opening yourself up to unwanted attention; too firm and colleagues will speculate you’ve been forced to take stress leave due to behavioural issues at work.For the most part, people stick to the basics: Hello, I am away. I will be back on this date. Expect a response when I return. Until then, please annoy this person listed below. But increasingly I have found the out-of-office transforming into a forum where people flex or have fun, sharing the sort of detail that should be reserved for the family WhatsApp thread.Scrolling through my inbox, much of the out-of-office correspondence goes well beyond need-to-know information.“Hello, I am off for two weeks of sun and fun in Thailand,” wrote a man named Simon, whom I barely know but had recently been CC’d on to a group email with. “Heading to Koh Samui first (my third time here!), then Phuket before finishing in Bangkok. Will catch up with you upon my return … if I decide to come back! Haha!”Pretending you’re not coming back to work is a classic out-of-office gag, a way of reminding people you are a funny and normal person who obviously has a life outside the corporate prison we all inhabit.Personally, I quite like those who lean the other way: no pleasantries, no apologies, no need to pretend anyone feels anything about your absence beyond mild indifference.
