Work emails · Plain-English guide
What does “At your earliest convenience” mean?
As soon as you reasonably can; it does not set a deadline.
“A deadline would save us both a little guesswork.” — Arthur
What it means in practice
This sounds polite but leaves the timing open. One reader may treat it as urgent; another may wait until their next free afternoon. The wording alone does not tell you which was intended.
An example and a clearer version
The original wording
Please reply at your earliest convenience.
In plain English
Please reply by Thursday if possible.
What to say instead
as soon as you can.
How to make the next step clear
If you need an answer by a particular date, give that date and explain briefly why it matters. If you received this request and cannot tell how urgent it is, ask for the deadline.
Wording you can adapt
Thanks — when do you need this by? I can send it on Thursday.
The wording around a phrase matters. Keep the names, dates, amounts and conditions from the original when you rewrite it.
Try “At your earliest convenience” with Arthur →