Email and out-of-office templates

This page contains templates for emails, out-of-office messages, etc. Feel free to use them as-is or to adapt them. 

Out-of-office message for strike action

I'm taking strike action on *dates. This action is over fair pay, closing the equality pay gaps, addressing excessive workloads and ensuring job security in Higher Education. You can find out more about UCU's Four Fights dispute on the UCU website. 

Out-of-office message for ASOS

I am currently observing ‘Action Short of a Strike’ (ASOS) as part of the UCU disputes on fair pay, closing the equality gaps, addressing excessive workloads and ensuring job security in Higher Education. It is likely there will be delays in answering and your patience is appreciated.

More information about the dispute, can be found on the UCU website. 

Welsh translation: Out-of-office message for strike action (Gweithredu Diwydiannol)

Rwy’n cymryd streic ar **. Mae’r cam hwn dros gyflog teg a phensiynau, cau’r bylchau cyflog cydraddoldeb, mynd i’r afael â llwythi gwaith gormodol a sicrhau sicrwydd swyddi mewn Addysg Uwch. Gallwch ddarganfod mwy am ‘Four Fights’ UCU ac anghydfodau pensiynau, sy’n cael eu cefnogi gan Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr, yma: UCU website. 

Welsh translation: Out-of-office message for ASOS (Gweithredu yn brin o streic)

Rwyf ar hyn o bryd yn arsylwi ‘Gweithredu Byr o Streic’ fel rhan o anghydfodau UCU ar gyflog teg a phensiynau, cau’r bylchau cydraddoldeb, mynd i’r afael â llwythi gwaith gormodol a sicrhau sicrwydd swyddi mewn Addysg Uwch. Mae'n debygol y bydd oedi wrth ateb a gwerthfawrogir eich amynedd.

Mae rhagor o wybodaeth am yr anghydfodau, a gefnogir gan Undeb Cenedlaethol y Myfyrwyr, ar gael yma: UCU website. 

Email for OU students – UCU industrial action

Dear all

This is just to let you know that I will be taking part in the University and College Union (UCU) strike action over pay on *dates. 

What this means for you

I won’t be running tutorials, answering emails, marking, or looking at forums on those dates.

I’m sorry if this will cause you inconvenience; it’s not action that any of us takes lightly. To find out more about the reasons for the strike, see https://ucu.open.ac.uk/campaigns/information-students .

And, of course feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

The union has requested that pay deducted from striking staff will go to the OU’s Student Study Support Fund.

Practical Matters

TMAs and extensions

If you are seeking an extension, please discuss this with your Student Support Team in my absence.

Module queries

Please post these on your module forum. They may not be answered on strike days.

Other urgent OU queries

If you have other queries that can’t wait, then please contact Student Support. Be aware that staff there may also be taking part in the industrial action.

More information

For further information on the strikes (including how you can support if you wish to do so) see https://ucu.open.ac.uk/campaigns/information-students. 

Welsh translation: Email for OU students – UCU industrial action

Annwyl bawb

Mae hyn er mwyn rhoi gwybod ichi y byddaf yn cymryd rhan yn streic yr Undeb Prifysgolion a Cholegau (UCU) dros gyflogau a phensiynau ar **.

Beth mae hyn yn ei olygu i chi

Ni fyddaf yn cynnal sesiynau tiwtorial, yn ateb e-byst, yn marcio nac yn edrych ar fforymau ar y dyddiadau hynny.

Mae'n ddrwg gen i os bydd hyn yn achosi anghyfleustra i chi; nid yw'n gam y mae unrhyw un ohonom yn eu gymryd yn ysgafn. I ddarganfod mwy am y rhesymau dros y streic, gweler https://ucu.open.ac.uk/campaigns/information-students.

Ac, wrth gwrs, mae croeso i chi ofyn unrhyw gwestiynau sydd gennych i mi.

Mae’r undeb wedi gofyn i’r tâl sy’n cael ei dynnu oddi ar staff sydd ar streic fynd i Gronfa Cymorth Astudio Myfyrwyr y Brifysgol Agored.

Materion Ymarferol

TMAs ac estyniadau

Os ydych yn ceisio estyniad, trafodwch hyn gyda'r Tîm Cefnogi Myfyrwyr yn fy absenoldeb.

Ymholiadau modiwl

Postiwch y rhain ar eich fforwm modiwl. Efallai na fyddant yn cael eu hateb ar ddiwrnodau streic.

Ymholiadau brys eraill y Brifysgol Agored

Os oes gennych ymholiadau eraill sy’n methu aros, yna cysylltwch â Chymorth i Fyfyrwyr. Byddwch yn ymwybodol y gall staff yno hefyd fod yn cymryd rhan yn y gweithredu diwydiannol.

Mwy o wybodaeth

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am y streiciau (gan gynnwys sut y gallwch gefnogi os dymunwch wneud hynny) gweler https://ucu.open.ac.uk/campaigns/information-students .