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Original poster

Sleeping through work emails

116 replies

szympli · 12/10/2023 07:58

If a more senior colleague was working on a project and you got asked to help on it… you worked 9am-11:30pm after waking up at 6am for school run. The senior colleague told you to go home. 45 minute journey home. You get into bed at 12:30 and fall fast asleep.

Woke up at 6am for school run to a barrage of missed emails about the work I did. Colleague would have been able to figure it out but obviously would take time. Some of the stuff I told him before I left. I work in finance btw.
Will I be in trouble for missing the emails?

OP posts:
TheUsualChaos · 12/10/2023 08:37

If you mean you missed emails that were sent during the middle of the night then if course you shouldn't be frowned on for this. If you even have to question this then your work culture must be extremely toxic.

Less than 6 hours is nowhere near enough rest btw when you have school runs and work the next day. If this a regular thing then your health must be really suffering.

Danikm151 · 12/10/2023 08:38

Time to set some boundaries.
In your signature highlight your contracted hours.
eg
My working days are Mon-Friday 9am -5pm. I will not be responding to emails outside of these hours.

we have some staff that work flexibly and state please don’t reply to my email outside of your working hours. Etc

BeautifulWar · 12/10/2023 08:41

Sounds like London from my experience. Fine to say, sorry, I was asleep. You went above and beyond as it was, which is often needed in some roles, but it's also fine to not always respond, like in your situation.

If you get in trouble, that tells you everything you need to know about the company. I'm sure it will be fine though.

SylvieLaufeydottir · 12/10/2023 08:41

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 12/10/2023 08:21

Is it an expectation of your role that you are personally contactable 24 hours a day? If not then no, you certainly shouldn't be reprimanded

Like I said, I can't think of any finance role that demands someone is on call 24 hours a day as a matter of course.

I used to work with private equity people. Big deals generally have a set deadline and during a deal cycle they all work round the clock. A lot of finance work involved. That said, they were all very handsomely compensated for the insanity of it all.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 12/10/2023 08:43

SylvieLaufeydottir · 12/10/2023 08:41

I used to work with private equity people. Big deals generally have a set deadline and during a deal cycle they all work round the clock. A lot of finance work involved. That said, they were all very handsomely compensated for the insanity of it all.

Show quote history

I used to work with people putting corporate loan syndicates together and they were the same. As you say, it had a deadline and they weren't expected to work like that all the time.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 12/10/2023 08:44

BeautifulWar · 12/10/2023 08:41

Sounds like London from my experience. Fine to say, sorry, I was asleep. You went above and beyond as it was, which is often needed in some roles, but it's also fine to not always respond, like in your situation.

If you get in trouble, that tells you everything you need to know about the company. I'm sure it will be fine though.

If I'd just worked an 18 hour day I wouldn't be saying sorry for being asleep for six hours.

MollyMarples · 12/10/2023 08:48

OP this is really not an acceptable or sustainable work pattern. No one can work these hours. Has this become normalised in your industry?

Foreverdecorating · 12/10/2023 08:50

Setting aside the ridiculously long working hours I don't see an issue with the emails. Surely emails are a great replacement for calls in that the sender can send them whenever they like day or night, and the receiver can then read them at a time that suits? Why are people appalled as someone sending emails during the night? I work for an international company so emails enter my inbox at all times of day and night and I deal with them when I am working.

SylvieLaufeydottir · 12/10/2023 08:50

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 12/10/2023 08:43

I used to work with people putting corporate loan syndicates together and they were the same. As you say, it had a deadline and they weren't expected to work like that all the time.

Show quote history

And - for what it's worth - it took a big toll on them, and what I was doing there was working on helping them with it (long story). Divorces, mental and emotional breakdowns, all sorts.

Nowherenew · 12/10/2023 08:50

you worked 9am-11:30pm after waking up at 6am for school run. The senior colleague told you to go home. 45 minute journey home. You get into bed at 12:30 and fall fast asleep.

So you fell asleep in the middle of your working day?

Yes I can imagine you’d be in trouble for doing so.

There are 2 separate issues here:
1.you not replying to work emails during your working day.
2.you putting in 9am-11:30pm shifts.

Do you work long hours and then have days off?
Or is this your working pattern every day?

IncomingTraffic · 12/10/2023 08:51

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 12/10/2023 08:43

I used to work with people putting corporate loan syndicates together and they were the same. As you say, it had a deadline and they weren't expected to work like that all the time.

Show quote history

Still a toxic working culture that excludes all sorts of people though.

These organisations know there will be deadlines etc - maybe they should adequately resource meeting them, rather than insisting on people working all hours to get things done.

ChesapeakeBay · 12/10/2023 08:54

You don't 'miss' an email like you miss a call, they're not something you pick up. Entirely normal to have emails come in when you're busy/ in meetings / not at work and respond later. Why do you think you'll be in trouble?

Middlelanehogger · 12/10/2023 08:56

Did they actually expect a response? I would assume they were just leaving instructions for you to do the next morning. Senior colleague clearly told you to go home and had the chance then to ask you for any handover info if they were planning to continue working later.

Don't go in tomorrow talking about working hours rights law but calmly tell people you were instructed to log off and then went straight to bed as it was after midnight. If they complain, ask them explicitly what the expectation is on availability after midnight after clocking off with supervisor.

SuddenlyOld · 12/10/2023 08:57

Nowherenew · 12/10/2023 08:50

you worked 9am-11:30pm after waking up at 6am for school run. The senior colleague told you to go home. 45 minute journey home. You get into bed at 12:30 and fall fast asleep.

So you fell asleep in the middle of your working day?

Yes I can imagine you’d be in trouble for doing so.

There are 2 separate issues here:
1.you not replying to work emails during your working day.
2.you putting in 9am-11:30pm shifts.

Do you work long hours and then have days off?
Or is this your working pattern every day?

I think 12.30 refers to 12.30am so not the middle of the day.

Goodnightythen · 12/10/2023 08:59

I've worked in a few places where you're 'on' over 24 hour periods. The culture can be quite toxic and if you finish a task at 11.30pm and the deadline is 9am, they will expect you to dedicate your life, sacrifice your sleep for the sake of the project. It's fine when you're young but after kids people tended to work more managerial and light touch roles with fewer hours, leaving the more intense work to the younger colleagues.

SylvieLaufeydottir · 12/10/2023 09:00

IncomingTraffic · 12/10/2023 08:51

Still a toxic working culture that excludes all sorts of people though.

These organisations know there will be deadlines etc - maybe they should adequately resource meeting them, rather than insisting on people working all hours to get things done.

Show quote history

People in these kinds of environments are routinely on mid-six-figures and up. You don't hire extra heads on that money for a once-a-quarter deal cycle. I don't disagree that it was a toxic culture, the ones I worked with totally were, but the deal was pretty clear upfront: crazy money, and in response you put everything into getting a deal over the line. Everything.

Taketurn · 12/10/2023 09:06

It's actually sad that OP is even asking that question.

TokyoSushi · 12/10/2023 09:10

Do you earn £££££££? Or are you contracted to work nights? Otherwise no, of course you shouldn't be in trouble, it was the middle of the night!

Nowherenew · 12/10/2023 09:15

SuddenlyOld · 12/10/2023 08:57

I think 12.30 refers to 12.30am so not the middle of the day.

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Thanks I misunderstood because OP said she was told to come home from the school run.

Needing to reply to emails from 11:30pm - 6am is absolutely ridiculous OP and as a PP said you need to set working boundaries from X - Y time on normal days and Y - Z time when a deadline is due.

If they fire you over not working 24hour days then you take them to court.

amidsummernightsdream · 12/10/2023 09:15

You didnt miss the emails though, you saw them in morning.

I hope you’re just venting and not genuinely asking if you will be in trouble.

If you are genuinely asking, you really need to reassess your boundaries as they are way off and you’ve possibly got too immersed in a toxic culture and/ or have low self esteem

WrongSwanson · 12/10/2023 09:27

IncomingTraffic · 12/10/2023 08:14

Any industry where someone would phone someone in the early hours only the morning about work stuff of this sort is toxic and dysfunctional.

Where there are genuine needs for people to be on call in that way, then proper arrangements should be made. And it shouldn’t be someone who has had to (unexpectedly) work 6am-11.30am on something that must be done urgently who is on call.

it doesn’t sound like anyone’s life or liberty was at risk in this situation. Just some piece of work that probably hadn’t been adequately resourced and/or properly planned so there was a last minute panic.

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Oh I don't disagree.

I got offered a high paying job in an industry like this and decided not to take it as I just didn't want my life to look like that.

But for some people they must feel the compensation is worth it.

Sisterpita · 12/10/2023 09:32

FerretFarago · 12/10/2023 08:05

Woking time law you need a minimum 11 hours off between shifts, so if you finished at 11.30 pm should not start work until 12.30 pm next day (if not opted out)

You cannot opt out of rest breaks. You can only opt out of the 48 hour week.

There is an exception in an emergency situation but compensatory rest must be given asap.

Sisterpita · 12/10/2023 09:38

WrongSwanson · 12/10/2023 08:08

Many professions are opted out though .

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@WrongSwanson you cannot opt out of rest breaks. The only opt out permitted is the 48 hour week.

Shinyandnew1 · 12/10/2023 09:42

Woke up at 6am for school run to a barrage of missed emails about the work I did. Colleague would have been able to figure it out but obviously would take time

Do you mean they didn’t understand the work you had produced?

It doesn’t sound like somewhere I would want to be working!

Canisaysomething · 12/10/2023 09:42

I would be straight in there with “is there anything I can do to help you manage future jobs so that I’m not expected to work during the middle of the night on future projects”. They are the manager, they didn’t manage it, they fucked up.