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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:
Original poster
BumDNC · 01/12/2016 23:56

It's always a worry you look like a mega dick to me!

OP posts:
FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 01/12/2016 23:58

I think the difference is for me, is that no one is expecting an out of hours response. They send the email with the expectation it will be looked into tomorrow.

paxillin · 02/12/2016 00:00

Some peoples late emails are a bit predictable: (1) the lazy sod who spends her day face-booking and then sends "look I'm working hard at ridiculous o'clock" emails and (2) the proper workaholic who just never stops, I feel a bit for them.

If it isn't either of those types I assume it was important, they can't sleep, they were out, they want a head start tomorrow...

EveOnline2016 · 02/12/2016 00:04

I don't think there is an inappropriate time.

Generally people need to log into email addresses so don't disturb until signed in.

SaltyBitch · 02/12/2016 00:08

I just sent one at 00:02!

appleoftheluck · 02/12/2016 00:09

I work a lot at night and send emails at all sorts of times, it has never occurred to me that people look at the time or care about it.

BlueFolly · 02/12/2016 00:09

I think after 9pm looks a bit weird.

Pseudonym99 · 02/12/2016 00:10

As far as I'm concerned they can send them whenever. I probably only check mine a couple of times a week. If its anything urgent they should have spoken to me face to face

SaltyBitch · 02/12/2016 00:10

Oh and I do a lot of work with clients in countries in time zones ahead of us. It is very normal for me to start receiving work for the day at 3am.

Lifeisdinky · 02/12/2016 00:28

I have a bit of a reputation as a late night emailer - I have said to colleagues that just because it is there first thing doesn't mean it needs to be dealt with immediately
I do think that me sending emails late (regularly to midnight and frequently up to 1am could be a problem for those who receive them as it could look like sent late as urgent, rather than sent late as it is only after I have got in from work and eaten that I have time to go through my inbox and actions I have picked up from meetings during the day

Just sent last email for the day I hope, not too bad for me Blush

BikeRunSki · 02/12/2016 00:32

I just sent one, about 00.10 am. It was a document that is needed for Monday, and I'm on leave until Tuesday. I'd rather work late on a work day, than at all on a leave day. We work flexitime. I now have some time in hand to see DD's Nativity on Wednesday afternoon.

CountFosco · 02/12/2016 00:39

We have customers around the world so I come in to lots of emails sent at strange times. When I have American customers I regularly sent emails in the evening otherwise making a decision took too long. When I have European customers I rarely check my work email in the evening, although an hour in the evening on my day off can help to clear the in-box so I can deal with the important stuff when I'm in work.

afromom · 02/12/2016 00:40

I was actually expecting to see that you were one of my work colleagues ranting about me sending emails late tonight! I read your posted and felt so relieved you were just doing the same as me!

I had a week off ill a couple of weeks ago and had hundreds of emails that I just could get on top of, so o sat down after putting ds to bed and blitzed the lot! Feels really refreshing knowing I'm starting tomorrow email free (except for those from the early risers who start emailing at 6am Shock)

SaltyBitch · 02/12/2016 00:48

I'd rather work late on a work day, than at all on a leave day.

Exactly why I worked late tonight. Am Xmas shopping tomorrow.

Temporaryanonymity · 02/12/2016 00:49

In my industry most of us are away from electronic devices during the day and travelling long distances by car, so the evening is when we catch up on emails. It's a pretty flexible job though. I know that if I need to go to a school thing or a personal appointment I don't need to book leave. No one expects a response to an evening email, but most of us do reply. Never had one after midnight, but they start again at 6am.

KeyserSophie · 02/12/2016 02:12

Not having personal devices set up to receive work emails

We only have this now- no more Blackberries. Everyone just uses an app on their personal phone. Most people use their own laptops as people tend to have preferences on brand so just buy their own.

Re emails, I think anytime is ok tbh. Fewer and fewer people work standard hours, more firms work across multiple time zones, and there is a growing trend towards work-life integration (i.e. go to gym at 3pm, and do emails at 9pm). I dont see an email sent late at night as being necessarily urgent.

BradleyPooper · 02/12/2016 03:09

I used to work in higher education and students sent emails at all times of the day and night expecting responses straight away (often regarding items they had left right up to a deadline). An email would be sent at 6pm, a stronger one at 9pm, an increasingly panicked one at 11pm etc. I would respond up to about 11pm and no later. I worked from home one day a week and would often include a little vacuuming or washing machine into my day so didn't mind catching up with the odd hour or two late at night a couple of nights a week.

IAmNotACat · 02/12/2016 04:57

I work in a busy medical field and loads of us do our non-urgent emails between 11:30pm-12:30am. If it doesn't need to be sent during the day/immediately, I put it on my 'emails to send before bed' list and do them all at the same time just before bed. It's very common.

I personally think emailing can be done at any time. It's not like an email sent at midnight is expected to be answered at midnight:

Trifleorbust · 02/12/2016 06:26

Doesn't bother me when I get them as long as no-one expects me to read them until I am in working hours (or ready to read them). However, lots of people get very stressed at work because their managers and clients do expect them to be constantly contactable and I think sending emails late can contribute to this culture.

notquiteruralbliss · 02/12/2016 06:38

Standard where I work - but people I work with are in multiple time zones so we all always come in to mails sent overnight, especially if someone wants us to do something during our morning. There's no expectation that anyone would answer a mail at midnight, but sending one would not be seen as odd.

StealthPolarBear · 02/12/2016 06:42

I send them whenever I'm working. Never really expected people will make a point of looking at the Sent time. As with all email I send I expect they will get a response when the person is next about.
If you knew someone was away from the office all day, eg on a course, woukd you not email them until they were back??? Same principle to me.

mysteryfairy · 02/12/2016 06:45

Totally part of the culture where I work. I wish I had a job where there was even space to agonise about this.

blueskyinmarch · 02/12/2016 06:55

My DH doesn’t sleep well so sometimes gets up in the night and does a bit of work and sends e mails. No one is surprised to get a 3am e mail from him.

eurochick · 02/12/2016 06:59

I usually check my email before bed and will dash off any quick replies that are needed. It's pretty normal in law to receive emails at all hours. I work with people in different time zones so emails at odd uk times are common anyway.

MargaretCavendish · 02/12/2016 07:12

As with all email I send I expect they will get a response when the person is next about.

Don't you think that can turn into a bit of a 'how early were you up' contest, though? That's what happened with my old job - the Head of Dept would send emails at 2am and it felt like everyone would fall over themselves to reply by 7am, I guess to show how go-getting and productive they were being. I sent plenty of those emails from bed...