Lenka PincotChief of Staff to the CEO| Project Management InstituteParis, France
Hi everyone! I'm having this question on my mind for a long time and I was wondering what is your opinion? Is it ok to write emails late at night so that people see them the first thing in the morning or othen at the same night because we all stay very much connected 24/7 and use smartphones.
How do you feel about that?
Thanks for sharing! Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
I have no problem with receiving emails 24/7 and I address emails as I see fit. I do not put restrictions but I am mindful sometimes of certain circumstances or occasions. Saving Changes...
I don't mind receiving night/weekend emails If I have something that has to be done at night or a weekend. I try to make sure that I can give me a work /life balance, that means in some cases 24/7 availibilty. By the other hands, you cant use emails rules as write the email at 9pm, send at 7am. Saving Changes...
LORI WILSONRETIRED - Technical Project Manager| RETIRED - LifePoint HealthClarkston, Wa, United States
Hello Lenka: I don't mind receiving them. It is up to me whether or not I review or respond to them on my time off. If nothing else, I like to quickly review them and get back to my personal rejuvenation and appreciation of my time off. It helps me relax knowing things remain on track for my projects and I can more fully enjoy my time off. It it is something warranting immediate attention, I appreciate receiving the information before getting back to the office. I don't like to send emails after hours or on weekends though. I only do if critical. Saving Changes...
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
In general, I have no problem with late-night or weekend e-mails. However, it depends on whether you are sending an e-mail downstream or upstream. For up-streamers, I have found the need to “second guess” this thought when it comes to my mind, as the imperative (at least for me) is often linked to a stress-related topic that is keeping me awake. To put it another way, you may regret hitting “send” on such an e-mail to upper management, for one, you may have written a book which is past the two-line executive tolerance threshold or in the worst case you may be flirting with a CLM (Career Limiting Move).
Bottom Line: I have been on both ends of the late-night e-mails and misinterpretation are more apt to occur in these timeframes. So, I have learned to let it go, or simply do a draft that I can review later when I’m fresh. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
More and more I oppose late-night and weekend email. I'll admit I've done it, but I now try to avoid it as much as possible.
First, it's bad for you. You deserve and need some time away from work. It's bad for your mental and social health to stay connected at all times. It's also bad for your relationships. Put the devices away and spend time on the things that really matter in life. You may be surprised at the mental clarity you bring with you when you return to work. If you're at home or outside and a brilliant idea comes to you, write a note and return to it when you're on work time.
Speaking of mental clarity, I have to point out what most of us already know: it's a bad idea to send messages late at night. How many of us have sent late night messages and then regretted it when we reviewed that message the next day? You might as well send drunk text messages to your co-workers. Again, if that great idea comes to you late at night, make a note or write a draft, but do not hit send. Review it on the next work day.
Second, it's bad for your team. They also need time away from work. When you send messages late at night, on the weekends, or during holidays, you're telling your employees that you expect them to keep working even when they're at home. Want proof? Send some messages and see how long it takes to get a response. Odds are at least one of your team members will reply within minutes. These days, even non-instant messages (like email) will pop up on our phones. What if that late night message you're sending rings an alert on your team member's phone while she's drifting off to sleep? Congratulations, you just woke up your team member. We talk a lot about toxic work environments- what could be more toxic than a project manager who follows you home and wakes you up at night for status updates?
In short, don't hit send. Unless it's an emergency, it can wait. Whatever it is that you think you need to do at night or on the weekends, just make a note or a draft and then set it aside until you get back to normal work hours. Saving Changes...
Priyanshu DixitPlanning Engineer| Sendan InternationalSouth Delhi, Delhi, India
It is not recommended to write emails out of working hours unless there is an need to do so and a justified reason.
If there is not so urgent reason, sending emails out of working hours shows that you are
1. Inefficient to complete work in the stipulated time,
2. You don't respect privacy and personal life of team members.
Some old and top management may see it as sign of hard work as they have all lived there life well, but in cultures like Sweden or Saudi Arabian where people value personal life, see it as interference. Saving Changes...
Unless the situation is truly THAT urgent which requires immediate after hours attention, I'd agree with Andrew that using a scheduled send option so that you compose the message whenever you want but it will arrive in the team members' mailboxes only a few minutes before the start of the next work day is a better approach.
Remember that we want our team members to work a sustainable pace and be able to easily juggle work and personal commitments so let's help not hinder them in this regard.
Exactly my opinion! Just if it is urgent. I remember that one of my functional user told me: please dont send me emails on weekend, you can send it just if they need inmediate action. So since then what i do is to program the delay delivery on outlook, so the email it is already in memory and wont be delivery till the date i set. Saving Changes...
Michael DelaneyPartner| Delaney Management LLCWest Chester, Pa, United States
I agree that sometimes business hours are so busy with meetings that you end up catching up in the off hours. You should make sure that the recipients understand you do not expect a reply off hours Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
I agree with the opinion that sending emails during off hours to mobile-connected workers will make the receiver feel like they should be answering and, thus, working extra time.
I refrain from sending email late in the evening. If I have to, I will compose it but save it as a draft for the morning. There's nothing worse than sending emails when you are tired. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Good question. I tend to work at odd hours (as I am now, at 10:20 pm), and I often send emails so people have them the moment they come in the next day. We now live in a 24x7x365 connected world, so the concept of a 9 am to 5 pm work day that existed just a few decades ago is obsolete.
However, I believe people need to define their personal work hours and stick to them, otherwise they won't separate their personal life from their work life, and that will create problems. Saving Changes...
Community Champion
