diff --git a/packages/component-faraday-ui/src/contextualBoxes/HERecommendation.js b/packages/component-faraday-ui/src/contextualBoxes/HERecommendation.js
index b6184d7fbde2515fdf7cc4808626b309129c2f21..a8f501ee8cc5c539ee4ebedd2f31f13b61792e6f 100644
--- a/packages/component-faraday-ui/src/contextualBoxes/HERecommendation.js
+++ b/packages/component-faraday-ui/src/contextualBoxes/HERecommendation.js
@@ -68,17 +68,15 @@ const HERecommendation = ({
         </ItemOverrideAlert>
       </Row>
 
-      {get(formValues, 'recommendation') === 'publish' ||
-      get(formValues, 'recommendation') === 'reject' ? (
+      {get(formValues, 'recommendation') === 'minor' ||
+      get(formValues, 'recommendation') === 'major' ? (
         <Row mt={2}>
-          <ItemOverrideAlert vertical>
-            <Label required>Message for Author</Label>
-            <ValidatedField
-              component={Textarea}
-              name="public"
-              validate={[required]}
-            />
-          </ItemOverrideAlert>
+          <ResponsiveItem mr={1} vertical>
+            <Label>
+              Message for Author <Text secondary>Optional</Text>
+            </Label>
+            <ValidatedField component={Textarea} name="public" />
+          </ResponsiveItem>
         </Row>
       ) : (
         <ResponsiveRow mt={2}>
diff --git a/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptPage.js b/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptPage.js
index aa69fb6d10850f9150dc2c078216f437074dfe2d..ac4868da0b46a6367c6241e128a699d413fb9f63 100644
--- a/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptPage.js
+++ b/packages/component-manuscript/src/components/ManuscriptPage.js
@@ -170,9 +170,7 @@ export default compose(
         eicDecision: getFormValues('eic-decision')(state),
         reviewerReport: getFormValues('reviewerReport')(state),
         responseToInvitation: getFormValues('answer-invitation')(state),
-        editorialRecommendation: getFormValues('editorialRecommendation')(
-          state,
-        ),
+        editorialRecommendation: getFormValues('HERecommendation')(state),
       },
       invitationsWithReviewers: getInvitationsWithReviewersForFragment(
         state,