Some email client applications allow users to define and set rules for managing their inbox. For example, rules can be set so that certain email messages are moved to a particular folder, deleted, flagged, or redirected, based on set criteria. Other example rules include sending an automatic reply to the sender, and sending window or sound notifications to the user when messages arrive that match the set criteria. These rules are useful tools for managing email inboxes, especially when a user is on vacation or on leave.
When a user goes on an extended leave of absence, the user can define and activate rules to help manage his/her inbox while the user is away. However, if the leave is unexpected, the user may not have these rules activated prior to commencing the leave. Email messages to the user's inbox would thus not be managed while the user is away. For example, message senders may not be notified of the user's absence if no Out of Office message rule has been activated; the user's allotted storage on the email server database may become full before the user returns, preventing further messages from reaching the user; and messages with virus content will sit in the email server database until opened or deleted. When the user returns and accessed his/her inbox, the user would be required to spend a considerable amount of time reviewing and organizing messages. The failure to activate the user rules for his/her email inbox thus results in stress on the email servers and the user upon his/her return.