Is it inappropriate to send WORK EMAILS late at night?
It’s not rude to send late–night emails. The whole point of the email is that you can send it when it’s convenient for you and people can respond when it’s convenient for them.
Is it inappropriate to send TEXT MESSAGES late at night or over the weekend concerning work?
Texting after work hours should be reserved for something that needs urgent attention, otherwise, it is considered to be inappropriate or rude.
There is no legal rule to this but try putting yourself in other people’s shoes for a moment, would you like a late–night text or message over the weekend about work?
7 am and 9 pm are usually preferred on weekdays, and try to avoid the weekends. However, if they’re a close buddy or you know they go to bed late, you can extend that a little bit.
There was once a client who only calls or text at late hours and over the weekend. The client’s excuse was they are still at work and many things need to be clarified instantly. I initially attended to the calls and messages, but eventually, this was not something I was comfortable continuing anymore. Eventually, we had to tell the client we are not able to support after office hours, hence an email would be helpful as somebody from the team would pick up the email and respond accordingly. Seems like this is the culture at their workplace.
Coincidentally, I received another email today asking for my contact number. The client texted to ask if we could speak at 8 pm (the client is Malaysian-based). I was shocked, my reply was business hours are preferred!
Seems like basic courtesy and respect for other people’s time are not taken up seriously anymore!
Where do we draw the line here?
