Emailing male boss at night

amother

Aubergine

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 1:02 pm

I try not to be on the phone too much when my kids are around. Sometimes my boss will email me after midnight and it's the only time I can have a business related conversation. My sister in law mentioned to me that late night emails might be inappropriate and I was wondering what other people think...

grace413

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 1:16 pm

I think it's rude and inconsiderate to e-mail employees at that hour. Isn't that when most people are sleeping?

However I don't think it's inappropriate in the way your sister in law means. It's e-mail and it's work-related. What difference does the time make?

Perhaps your SIL has too much time on her hands.

sleepybeauty

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 1:23 pm

grace413 wrote:

I think it's rude and inconsiderate to e-mail employees at that hour. Isn't that when most people are sleeping?

Why is it rude? An email doesn't wake people up, and OP can reply at her convenience.

grace413

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 1:38 pm

sleepybeauty wrote:

Why is it rude? An email doesn't wake people up, and OP can reply at her convenience.

Because OP said that's the only time she can have a business convo and I got the impression that he boss does expect her to answer immediately. Unless they are on a very unusual schedule, that's not a time to be working.

Next post: My DH is e-mailing his female employee at midnight and ignoring me. What should I do.

Heyaaa

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 1:43 pm

An email is not a phone conversation. It just means that he'll have the answer in his mailbox by the time he gets to work the next morning.

amother

Puce

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 1:50 pm

I do this and it does sometimes feel odd. Sometimes I'll have a whole email conversation with my boss (work-only but friendly) from my smartphone while I'm in bed at gone midnight. It doesn't feel right.

Sake

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 1:59 pm

I'm a female boss and 10-11:30pm is when I can catch up. I don't expect an answer until morning, however if I get one I'll engage in conversation if needed. Male or female employees are treated equally in this regard. They need to manage their own comfort levels about personal time (work life I and as for inappropriate re: male female relationships... I would not cater to any implications being made.

ROFL

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 2:12 pm

Email is supposed to be answered when ever you look at your email not on a specific time so if it was emailed to you at midnight it doesn't mean you have to answer a that night it means when you get into the office the next day you answer the email

amother

Jetblack

Sun, Feb 28 2016, 6:01 pm

I always emailed my boss late. I wanted him to see that even though I may have been preoccupied during the day with something child or home related (obviously for a short time) I am giving back. The same way I take work time for private urgent matters, I take private time for work as 'payback'.

HonesttoGod

Mon, Feb 29 2016, 11:19 am

My boss emails me at all times of the day. From 8 am to 10 pm to 3 am.
If I am available, and I can, I reply, otherwise it remains unread for me to deal with in the office during business hours.

amother

Aubergine

Mon, Feb 29 2016, 1:39 pm

Op here. Thanks everyone for your replies!
My boss is not demanding an answer that late, and I only answer if it's convenient for me.
I guess my question is: the other mother posted she felt uncomfortable emailing her boss from her smartphone at night.
Is it inappropriate? Why does it make her feel uncomfortable if it's totally fine? Is there anything wrong with it at all?
Just trying to understand if it's something I shouldn't be doing..?

Heyaaa

Mon, Feb 29 2016, 1:52 pm

I don't think it's improper at all. I think having a whole texting conversation late at night can be inappropriate. I think that emails are meant that you can send someone important information at any hour and they can respond at their convenience. I think it would be more improper for you to wait until morning if it would cause you to be stressed the entire morning. Better do it at nighttime when you're anyway winding down.

zaq

Mon, Feb 29 2016, 5:06 pm

Well, the boss will know that this employee is not at the mikveh or with her dh at the time that she's emailing. If she regularly emails at night most nights and one night she doesn't, might he assume she's with her dh? Yes, that's a rather absurd stretch (though stranger things have happened), but that's the kind of thoughts people end up with when they overthink things.

Of course, we don't know what sort of tone the boss's emails carry. Maybe his evening tone is, uh, warmer than his midday tone.

iluvy

Mon, Feb 29 2016, 6:30 pm

amother wrote:

My mother tells me to do this Smile

. Whenever I'm up with the baby at 4am, I email as many people as I can so they see I'm working around the clock.

naturalmom5

Mon, Feb 29 2016, 6:36 pm

zaq wrote:

Well at least if he is emailing her, we know he's not with her embarrassed

finallyamommy

Mon, Feb 29 2016, 7:16 pm

I don't see a problem. Just don't answer till morning if you're uncomfortable with it. Honestly, I'd be more concerned that I'm expected to put that much more time/energy/thought into work, but no I don't think it's inappropriate.