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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How late is too late to send work emails?

118 replies

BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:22

I was out all day doing something else for work that was compulsory.
Then I spent the evening with my children and focusing on them etc.
So at 10pm when they were in bed I felt like I should have a look at the emails for the day that I had missed and dealt with a few. To me, it wasn't a big deal, took half hour of my otherwise only watching telly time but now I think people are going to see email sent at 10.44pm and think I am a workaholic nutter!
I admit to thinking the same if I ever see a late work email.

OP posts:
Alorsmum · 01/12/2016 23:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 01/12/2016 23:26

Sometimes I send them late just so people don't start thinking I'm a lazy cunt Wink.

Normally it's because I'm Netflixing on my work phone and think 'why not?!'

littlepeas · 01/12/2016 23:26

I think it is fairly normal in this day and age with iPhones, etc. My dh certainly does a lot of work in the evenings.

Mistletoetastic · 01/12/2016 23:27

I just checked and sent emails. Been out all day and travelling back on train, would rather do it now than tomorrow

Original poster
BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:27

Haha I will go with I set them late or oh I don't know, I sent them at 5 and they went late! Haha

OP posts:
NiceFalafels · 01/12/2016 23:30

I always worry for my bosses work life balance when they do this.

TinselTwins · 01/12/2016 23:30

I tend to go up to 11

I think 2am emails look a bit odd.. so I don't send after 11, but I don't care when others send theirs

Original poster
BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:32

Yeah after 11 seems a bit insane.

I don't want people to worry for mine, I had a spare half hour and would rather just do them

OP posts:
mintthins · 01/12/2016 23:32

DH sends emails at that time on a daily basis. I'm pretty sure few people notice the sent time sadly.

ofhorse · 01/12/2016 23:32

I think after midnight is too late--- anything up to that is normal in my place.

Original poster
BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:33

My outlook does show the time and I do seem to notice - I get so many. I looked and some other workaholic had sent them at 9pm so I got in on the action

OP posts:
CakeNinja · 01/12/2016 23:34

We just had a work email sent round outlining a code of conduct regarding work emails.
Along the lines of...
Sending them between work hours of 8am-6pm
Only sending them to the correct recipients
Sending only if you think it's more beneficial than a face to face conversation
Not having personal devices set up to receive work emails
And so on.
It was sent at 11pm!
TBH, it doesn't bother me receiving work emails whenever, my phone and iPad are both Linked to my work emails as I don't get time at work to log on and would otherwise miss important info. My phone is always on silent so to check for anything, I have to actually look rather than hearing a 'ping'.
So for me personally, it's never I convenient as I check when I want.

saltandvinegarcrisps1 · 01/12/2016 23:34

I think it can set a precedent whereby people start to expect a response even out of reasonable working hours. If I am catching up in order to save time the next day / avoid a huge inbox, I compose my answer but save them all as drafts - thing ping them all out when back in work hours.

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 01/12/2016 23:34

(If I'm actually working I will have already collected my TOIL Wink)

messystressy · 01/12/2016 23:35

I often work late two days a week. 11am is my latest for emails.

messystressy · 01/12/2016 23:35

11pm...tired....just logged of my laptop...

80sMum · 01/12/2016 23:37

I used to receive work emails at 3.00 or 4.00 in the morning sometimes! My boss was a bit of an insomniac and often used to stay in the office working all night.

EBearhug · 01/12/2016 23:37

I might look through stuff when on-call or doing an out-of-hours maintenance, so I'll send them whenever it suits. I have colleagues all round the world, so there's usually someone around.

SheepyFun · 01/12/2016 23:38

So long as you aren't expecting an immediate reply, I don't think it matters. I've had a line manager who would send emails at all hours of the day and night. He sometimes wanted things at unnecessarily short notice (i.e. he'd known about something for weeks, but only asked for my contribution the day before), but was generally a good manager - it's what you expect of yoru colleagues that really counts.

Original poster
BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:38

Yeah that's an issue with TOIL - I don't want it, not going to claim it. But it looks like you are setting a precedent - I was just out all day and needed to catch up. My boss is away or they would go mad, don't believe in our of hours working but then also doesn't appreciate how much of my time is spent in long convos that mean I can't answer emails!

OP posts:
Original poster
BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:38

Mine were either submitting info or FYi's

OP posts:
mumtomaxwell · 01/12/2016 23:42

I sent my trainee a couple of emails late at night... then realised I was making it look like that was normal/expected. Made an effort the next day to explain she should definitely not be working late into the night!!

CakeNinja · 01/12/2016 23:45

Yes I think I agree with PP and op, as long as you're not expecting an immediate response outside your personal 'expected working hours' I think it's okay to send them whenever.

Original poster
BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:46

I will keep you updated on any of the possibly boring feedback I get about it!

I'm very commited to my job and sadly do think that dealing out of hours is just part and parcel

OP posts:
littlesallyracket · 01/12/2016 23:50

I don't mind people who send work emails out of hours, provided they don't expect a) a reply or b) praise for working late.

I'm sure this isn't the case with you as you've explained that you have a job that means you can't always pick stuff up during the day as you'd like - but I have noticed that some people who send emails out of hours definitely do it because they think it will make them look like a super-dedicated worker and impress people. I think you can usually tell the difference between those people and people like you who just have an odd work pattern once in a while and want to catch up with stuff, though.