Should Leaders Wait Until Monday Morning to Send Their Weekend Emails to Staff?

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We’ve all been there—working outside hours, trying to get ahead or catch up. But sending emails to staff during their downtime can backfire badly. And here’s why …

In 2019, the average office worker received 90 emails per day. But it’s the occasional messages sent by bosses to their team members late at night or at weekends that can have negative consequences—particularly on your culture.

It happens all too easily. We’re trying to clear a backlog of work or prepare for the week ahead, getting ready for meetings, bids or projects. Sending an email to team members may be the last job left to round things off before we finally head to bed.

But don’t do it.

There are plenty of obvious reasons why it’s better to wait until we’re behind our desks. When it’s late and you’re tired, your email is more likely to include mistakes. Maybe the tone of voice is too blunt. Or you send the message to the wrong group. Depending on your staff members’ mobile alert settings, the message may also wake them up.

Sending emails at 3 am is more acceptable if your business operates in different time zones or your team is working on night shifts or at weekends. But if these reasons don’t apply, these emails can send out deeply negative signals.

What it says about your company culture

These emails will impact your company culture. Sending that message on Saturday, during a holiday, or late at night sends the message that you (and your organization) don’t respect your team and their need for time off. They can’t escape work. It never stops.

Please read the full article on the Entrepreneur’s Organisation blog.

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