Vacation Reminder

There are many things that working before law school and law school itself do not prepare you for.  The obvious is the actual practice of law.  The not-so-obvious things that you are not prepared for are the weird law firm rules of etiquette.  Normal rules of etiquette? Throw them out the window.  Normal workplace rules of etiquette? Nope.

Case in point: This week's stressful task of figuring out just how exactly to remind my partner that I'm on vacation until August 1.  In the normal world, this would not be stressful.  It wasn't like I was requesting vacation.  I did that in January.  It wasn't like we hadn't discussed it a little less than a month ago.  We had.  In fact, back in June, I even mentioned rescheduling my vacation based on some client stuff.  So why the stress? Because I work at a place where the normal rules do not apply!

I asked several different associates what I should do.  Examples included:

1. Giving a week's heads up followed by an email the morning of the last day in the office.
2. Waiting until the partner calls/ emails you about something and then replying to that email, including your vacation reminder.
3. Sending the reminder email as the last thing you do in the office.
4. Do nothing and then if you get an email while on your vacation, remind the partner that's where you are.
5. Email the partner at the end of the day on Monday/ Tuesday.

SO.  Obviously, #3 and #4 are out of the picture.  That is just not me.  The person who recommended those was obviously burned in the past.  He said he tried a variation of #2 and his partner was basically like, why the f* are you wasting my time with this? And then gave him work while he was on vacation.  I like to think that my partner isn't like that.  Yeah, I live in a fantasyland.  When I talk to people about this, they're like - do you even think he remembers you are going on vacation? He has a lot on his mind.  He doesn't care and you are completely replaceable.  I just don't like that about my job.  Shouldn't your boss know these things?  

Anyway, I was too late for #1 because I didn't remember I should remind people until Monday.  Oops.  I tried #2 but the partner just wasn't contacting me.  So, that leaves #5, which I did.  I tortured myself over the wording of the email.  How do I remind the partner while making it clear that I'm trying not to be annoying and that it's not a request for a vacation but a reminder?  The result:

Subject: Vacation Reminder

Partner,

I just wanted to send you a quick reminder that I'm going on vacation starting this Friday and returning to the office Monday, August 1.  Please let me know if there's anything you would like me to do before I go out of town.  Regarding [Client Matter], I have not heard anything from the Company.

Best,

Meaghan

Now this email deviates from ALL the advice I received in that I offered to do work on stuff before I left.  NO ONE would do that.  In fact, if I mentioned that to any of the people who gave me advice, they would say that was dumb.  Like I said, normal niceties/ rules of etiquette just do not reply.  Oy vey!