Sleeping through work emails

[szympli]

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?

Depends on the industry. I have a friend who is a solicitor working in M&A and when she has a deal on there is a 24 hour expectation, especially because different time zones can be involved.

That's not to say I think that's in any way a good thing, but it is unfortunately the reality in some fields.

Also finance here and senior. I sometimes work stupid hours and send mails with questions at stupid times but I’ve made it clear to my team that I don’t expect them to look at them out of hours. It’s more a case of me sending things while they’re in my head

theres no way anyone would get in trouble for not responding out of hours. In fact if they did I’d be very likely to tell them to stop working.

so no. If there’s an expectation you should have responded that’s totally unfair

And also, if you’d worked long days to get something done (it happens and is sometimes needed) then I’d be very clear I’d expect you to take that time back pretty soon. Some early finishes or late starts.

Why would you be in trouble for this? That obviously makes no sense. Unless you colleague is deranged, you won’t be in trouble.

He probably sent you the emails so you’d have them the next day to help with. I doubt he was expecting you’d be responding to them overnight.

At least, that’s what I would be assuming until there was any evidence to the contrary.

You can't opt out of the 11 hour break between shifts, only the 48 hour working week.

😂😂😂😂😂 meanwhile I the private sector

And in hotels!

@SecondUsername4me and restaurants! And most industries

Well it is fine for the person to send the emails whilst they are working. It's fine for you to reply when you are working.

What's not fine is for you to be berated for not working at 6am - did that occur or not?

I am also finding a great deal of amusement imagining the people I've known in m&a/private equity/corporate finance on £300k+ pulling this one.

Yes you can.

Many people opt out of the 11 hour break between shifts. I did, as did all my nhs nursing colleagues. Regular shift pattern 13.30 - 21.30, then back in the next morning 07.30 - 15.30. 10 hours between shifts.

There is some confusion about opt outs on this thread. You can't opt out of the requirement for a minimum of 11 hours uninterrupted rest between finishing work one day and starting work the next. You can opt out of the maximum of 48 hours per week, but the rest of the Working Time Regulations still apply. However, the 11 hours can be breached if necessary, provided it does not happen regularly and the employee gets compensatory rest, i.e. gets their rest later or in a different way.

@szympli If you get into trouble for this, you need to leave. There is no way your employer should expect you to answer emails overnight after working a 14.5-hour day.

I am also finding a great deal of amusement imagining the people I've known in m&a/private equity/corporate finance on £300k+ pulling this one

That's why they're paid what they're paid, after all.

I wouldn't get in trouble no, but then again if I'd worked until 11.30 the night before I'd not been expected to be in the office at the normal time the next day

That was illegal then and absolutely should not happen except, as pointed out by prh for a genuine emergency/unusual situation. It should not be part of a regular shift pattern.

There are some specific exemptions for emergency services & hospital workers

Exactly.

People in the field don't look down on those who step back to less intense jobs or wash out of the area altogether, IME. Human bodies have limits and few people can keep that kind of thing up forever. But if you're in that field, you know what the deal is, and you are paid to roll with it. If you don't like that, you can leave the job. No problem. But you can't change the job.

OP hasn't actually said if they were berated for it tbh. Was she?

I think this. We have people who send weekend email, late night or early morning emails. That’s because the sender is working at those times. They don’t expect a response there and then, they are left for when the receiver is working.

And in senior roles in public sector tbh, we sometimes do crazy hours. I can't imagine even clocking that I'd missed a break.

You accept that to progress at a senior level you must need to get the job done and if an emergency hits you don't go downing tools because the hours are up and you are entitled to a rest break. Way to kill a career!!

Of course overall people should look after their well being, but many senior roles just aren't going to neatly fit into 9-5

We have people who send weekend email, late night or early morning emails. That’s because the sender is working at those times. They don’t expect a response there and then, they are left for when the receiver is working

I worked with a law firm whose email footer said exactly this - that their flexible working pattern might mean weirdly timed emails but no response was expected at that time. Sensible.

When I meet any new member of my department for their induction I tell them that I might email them late at night /over the weekend but that doesn't mean I expect them to be working then too.

I also try and remember to set a time delay when sending emails outside office hours but sometimes I do forget

I've (nearly) always worked in global companies, so it's normal for Aussie or Californian colleagues to be emailing me in the wee hours, UK time. Email is an asynchronous medium by design.

Knew you worked in finance before the last line.

Same.

Every banking contract I've ever done is automatically opted out.