Out of Office?

True story: Saysanna was swamped with work and couldn’t wait to get away on a well-deserved family holiday in Bali. Before he left for the airport, he excitedly composed his out-of-office message, completely unaware the content would be a key factor in the ransacking of his home.

“Bye bye Houston, hello Bali!!! No laptop, no cell phones, no TV…not even a land-line phone in our thatch-roofed bungalow over the water. :-) If you need anything, please contact my manager Miranda Kxxxxx, Miranda.Kxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.com *, tel (713) 230-XXXX as I will be completely unreachable for the next three weeks!“

Investigating the robbery, the police officer in charge concluded that the attack had actually taken place over an extended period of time. It was almost as if the perpetrators knew that there was no risk of a surprise interruption.

“Who might have known the specifics of your holiday plans?” asked the officer. While thinking through the possibilities, Saysanna paled as he remembered the content of his out-of-office message. He’d shared his holiday plans, manager’s name, an email addresses and phone number with anyone sending him an email, either inside and outside the company.

Because his name and address could easily be found in the local directory as well as on his LinkedIn profile, the culprits found an easy route to his home.

Here’s how you could compose a safer out-of-office response.

Thank you for your email. I am currently unavailable until 22 August 2011 and will not have access to my mailbox during that time. Please expect some delay in responding to your email upon my return. For urgent matters please contact my colleague , who can be found in our Global Address List (GAL) or send me an sms on my mobile.