After hours emails

amother

OP ↓

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 1:49 pm

I like to respond to or send work emails at night when things are quieter for me, since while I’m in the office things tend to be super hectic and there’s so much to do. Somebody just mentioned to me that it’s considered bad practice to send work emails at night because people who don’t want to be thinking about work at night find it annoying to get work emails at night. What is considered the norm? I’ve never hesitated to send professional emails at night, with the assumption that people can respond when it works for them. Am I wrong?

amother

Bronze

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 1:53 pm

I find that I’m more likely to burn out with time when I work after hours in addition to time at the office. Yes, things will move slightly more slowly, but it’s so much better for my sanity. You can always schedule send for a more convenient time for people if you want to get it out at night. I don’t really care when I get emails, as long as they’re not from my boss.

amother

Sienna

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 1:56 pm

If you’re requesting something of them then say “let’s plan _____ tomorrow” so they don’t feel the need to respond tonight.

I feel pressure to answer emails after hours and I do not like getting them.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 1:58 pm

amother Bronze wrote:

I am not concerned about the effect on me. I have to get a certain amount done each day, and I rather do what must be done in the office while I’m there. Then leave the office and get home for my kids bus and save emails for later. But I don’t want to do that if it’s considered inappropriate.

Hello99

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 1:58 pm

In outlook you delay or schedule email to be sent at a different time. You can work at night when it's more convenient for you, and have your emails delivered during regular business hours.

amother

↑ OP

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:01 pm

To clarify— my question is simply this— is it considered unprofessional to send work emails at night?

amother

Whitesmoke ↓

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:04 pm

People who don't want to think about work after hours don't have to read emails after hours. It's on them to set their own boundaries.

singleagain ↓

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:10 pm

amother OP wrote:

To clarify— my question is simply this— is it considered unprofessional to send work emails at night?

I don't think so. If it's really important for someone to not see these messages, they will mute their notifications or not have it on their cell phone.

Oh sure. Sometimes I see an email from someone at 11:00 p.m. at night and I'm like okay. Well good for you

amother

Bluebonnet ↓

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:12 pm

I consider it annoying. Especially when it seems to be calling me out, like “hey, I’m following up on this, any update?”
Also if it’s someone on my team responding instead of me I feel like it reflects badly on me to respond later than them.
Just schedule them for the morning.

amother

Brickred

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:19 pm

It depends on who I'm emailing. In my immediate team several of us go through out emails at night and we're all fine with emailing each other. But we also have no pressure to respond that night. I like to email when I remember something rather than forget, but it doesn't mean it's urgent.
Anyone else I feel is unprofessional to send it out in the evening and I schedule send them for the next morning.

amother

Beige

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:20 pm

Not at all. I don't check my work emails after hours.
Why would someone have their work email on their phone? It should only be on their work computer.
Also, with so many offshore employees in all types of companies it has become much more normal for people's work schedules not to align

vintagebknyc

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:20 pm

amother OP wrote:

To clarify— my question is simply this— is it considered unprofessional to send work emails at night?

I wouldn’t say unprofessional, I’d say it makes you seems as though you don’t care about your co workers off-time. Schedule them to send the next morning.

↑ singleagain ↓

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:31 pm

Also, how late are you talking? 7:00 9:00 11:00

7:00 I feel like it's not a problem. 9:00 maybe pushing? It depends on what the message is

11:00 doesn't bother me but I do look at it and be like dude don't you have a life?

notshanarishona

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:36 pm

amother OP wrote:

To clarify— my question is simply this— is it considered unprofessional to send work emails at night?

Not if it’s too a work email. To a personal email maybe a little

amother

Molasses

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 2:45 pm

notshanarishona wrote:

Not if it’s too a work email. To a personal email maybe a little

This.
If it's a work email you can send, I would try avoiding if it's personal emails.

I work from home and sometimes will work on a Sunday if I need, I will always delay send until Monday.

amother

Magenta ↓

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 4:41 pm

amother OP wrote:

To clarify— my question is simply this— is it considered unprofessional to send work emails at night?

I wouldn’t say unprofessional, but I view it as unnecessary. Most modern email clients have tools to schedule emails.

If it’s once in a while, then as a recipient, I wouldn’t read much into it. But if you’re sending these emails more regularly and not utilizing business hours tools, I would question why you’re not taking the minor additional effort of operating within professional timelines.

amother

↑ Magenta

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 4:45 pm

Also, consider this a little hack, but you can schedule it to be sent early the following morning too. For better or for worse, an email sent before the business day starts reflects a positive, conscientious tone, vs an email sent late at night comes with a sense of urgency (usually negative) that may or may not reflect well on your time management skills.

mommyhood

Thu, Sep 12 2024, 4:58 pm

I don’t think it’s unprofessional. I send and have received many emails at night, weekends etc. If someone chooses to have notifications on their work emails that’s on them, I dont expect an immediate response.
The only thing I would consider unprofessional is if you only respond to emails at night but if you’re reachable during the day and this is just to supplements it’s fine.