In the past, I've tended to follow a '48-hour rule' when it comes to responding to emotionally-heated emails.
Yes, 48 hours can seem like an eternity in the tech world, but it prevents accidentally exacerbating the situation by acting with good intentions yet without a clear head.
This isn't even taking into account how long it takes to check with HR, legal, etc. All of which were probably necessary here.
+1 and well said. When I had legal issues with a client irrationally withholding payment, my lawyer suggested to wait four days to respond. Seems like an eternity, especially considering it's double from what you tend to follow (48 hours), it's amazing how much more reasonable your response can be juxtaposed to responding immediately.
Yes, 48 hours can seem like an eternity in the tech world, but it prevents accidentally exacerbating the situation by acting with good intentions yet without a clear head.
This isn't even taking into account how long it takes to check with HR, legal, etc. All of which were probably necessary here.