Quick question for teachers

[Gleerocks]

If you had an urgent message you needed to send someone senior to you (eg to your subject leader or head of dept), would you consider 8pm unacceptable?

Not sure I explained that too well. I mean, is 8pm too late to contact someone?

No it's fine

I think it's fine too

No I'd send at that time

Is it a text message or an email? I wouldn't mind either from a colleague at 8pm although I might not see the email. Unless the person made a habit of messaging me random stuff that wasn't that important. A genuine emergency or urgent issue I'd rather they let me know at 8pm than at 8am tomorrow morning!

It's fine. I wouldn't expect them to respond to an email. If it was urgent I'd expect a response via text/WhatsApp.

Good to know. I sent a text, read at 8.03 (and read by my manager because she has not turned off read receipts on her phone), asking for the following afternoon off (as allowed in my rather unusual contract). However I’m now being hauled over the coals as 8pm is deemed to late to contact another member of staff.

Is that an emergency situation though?

It sounds like you're in an unusual role if you are "allowed" afternoons off.

I wouldn't have made contact for that unless it was completely out of the ordinary.

Safeguarding issue or major teaching issue is acceptable to message about. Or absence the following day for an emergency but not something routine.

So it wasn't an urgent message then?

Good point I suppose it was out of the ordinary in that it was short notice, and she would have therefore had the right to refuse.

I have a very informal relationship with my manager and I’d have no hesitation in messaging at that time, (usually about gossip or some random crap that has happened)

I guess context is everything here.

Was it just you fancied an afternoon off? Or did you have something unexpected crop up which you needed to do? The latter would probably be OK to message about. The former can be left until the morning.

9pm is the accepted cut off time for urgent e-mails IMO.

No, definitely not just fancied the afternoon off (that wouldn’t be allowed). My contract allows me to undertake other work, and and invitation to do so had just been offered for the following day.

Ah that sounds quite a unique situation. I think on balance 8pm was fine to ask for that. Perhaps an email would have been more acceptable,, however if you need a response to confirm the other work then a message is fine.
Does your boss know that requests usually come in late?

Yes, my manager definitely understands that work can come in at short notice and has undertake similar work herself in the past.

This is the strangest teacher set up!

Is it your manager complaining about the time? Seems odd if they know the situation.

If it was genuinely urgent it would be fine. TBH messages are often sent late although depending on the content to recipient might not respond until morning.

I can't imagine and text at 8pm requesting the following afternoon off being warmly received but if it were a medical emergency or similar best to send it with as much notice as possible.

Yes, it’s hard to explain! It’s not a normal school (arts based organisation) but with some teachers pay and conditions