Today I received this message via Upwork from my colleague Kirandeep in India. I say ‘colleague’ - I’ve never met Kirandeep. In fact, I’ve never spoken to him. My sole interaction with him is via the UpWork messaging app - and we get on very well. I set him tasks. He does them. Well and on time and without fuss, and at a good price (for both me and him no doubt - $10 an hour is a princely sum for technical work in India, and a snip in the UK).

"Also Christopher, This is to inform you that I won't be available tomorrow as there is a national holiday on the auspicious day of "Mahatama Gandhi - Indian Freedom Fighter's Birth anniversary. I 'll back to my work station on Thursday. I'll manage the work by giving extra hours. I hope you understand !”

Why I warmed to this message was on a number of levels 1) Firstly, it showed great diligence to warn me he wasn’t going to be working 2) I had know idea what Mahatma Gandhi day was (though I possibly should) 3) I liked his use of the word ‘auspicious 4) He showed extra levels of diligence and communication by saying he’d work extra hard the days after.

Thank you Kirandeep for your hard work. Thank you Upwork for creating the technology to facilitate such positive working relationships ;-)