Getting work messages in the evening or on weekends can be stressful, but senders often don’t consider them urgent. There’s a way to fix the misunderstanding…
We should ensure that the way we use technology does not become a driver of unhealthy workplace cultures.
The phenomenon matters because it is detrimental to our collective well-being…
When our emails are urgent or high-priority, many of us include a red exclamation mark or an uppercase URGENT label. Indeed, some of us overuse that technique, and such indicators are so commonplace that at times it can seem like everything is urgent. However, we also tend to overlook the value of explicitly communicating when a response is not urgent—that is, when there is no need for someone to drop what they are doing on the weekend or in the evening to respond. Our research suggests that failure to clearly communicate both levels of our expectations—the urgency and the non-urgency of our emails—might be a key driver of the rise in “always on” work culture and its associated negative impact on our overall well-being…
People will continue sending emails on the weekend and during evening hours because that might be the time that is most convenient for them. That’s ok. It’s not necessarily about less email sent during off-hours. It’s about better emails sent during off-hours.
— By Laura Giurge and Vanessa Bohns, Wall Street Journal
Great article. I’ve been on both sides of this one. I’ve had brainstorms over the weekend and figured if I don’t draft and send this right now, I may lose the train of thought and/or forget to send the email during work hours. On the other hand, I’ve received emails as late as 11:30 pm on a Friday night and as early as 7 am on a Saturday or Sunday morning, which tends to land with a thud. I will definitely follow this advice and simply add a note declaring my email as urgent or simply food for thought at the receivers convenience. Just saying’ ;) Hugs. XO
Blessings,
Chatgirl
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