Daimler's solution for annoying out-of-office email: delete it

01 Sep 2014 • engadget.com

The German automaker recently installed software that not only auto-replies to email sent while staff is away, but deletes it outright. If there’s a meltdown at the workplace, you may not have to deal with it at all. The move affects about 100,000 employees, so it’s clearly going to make an impact.

The cut-off reflects a broader European rebellion against after-hours communication. Daimler believes that people on break actually deserve a break, and that managers shouldn’t try to wring out a few extra hours of work that likely aren’t necessary. It might have a point: studies even suggest that Germany, France and other countries that discourage overtime are very productive.

Progress.