Career Clinic: My boss constantly emails me out of work hours

Are you worth it?

It depends whether you've signed your soul away in taking the job.

Personally, I decided to take the less stressful but less amply rewarded role a few years back although I still check my emails when away from the office nonetheless. The difference is, I can subtly make the point (although it goes without saying around here) that I'm not paid to work 24/7 at a partner's beck and call.

Can you?

Oh, and regardless (and being more sympathetic), I don't think you should have to take that sort of treatment unless the partner is also working his socks off at the weekend too. If you're being made a dogsbody, then I'd find a way of standing up to them and make it clear that you do expect to have a life outside of the office.

Pelagicus -28 Apr 2011 | 16:19

24/7

"Only put up with this if the partner also works his socks off at the weekend" I'd call sending someone 50 emails over a weekend working my socks off!!

As an in-house lawyer working in a global company I can say that it definitely depends on where you are working. I have law firms working for me who send out of office replies saying "I am on holiday so will only be checking my emails sporadically" and one lawyer who spent Christmas emailing me from his holiday in Cambodia (even on Christmas day). I didn't ask or expect him to, but I was emailing him as I was working. It's up to him if he picks them up and replies as he is a partner in a US law firm. I check my emails pretty much 24/7 but that is to manage my workload, and it helps when you are working globally, not because it is expected. When I was in private practice I refused to have a BlackBerry and was only contactable when I was in the office, albeit that was often long hours. I will say though, if thy are paying you a fortune, they will expect you to earn it!

Senior Legal Counsel -28 Apr 2011 | 16:41

There's a difference between your boss spending his weekends emailing you, and you needing to spend your weekends reading his emails. Has he told you (or otherwise indicated) that he expects you to be on call? People manage their time differently - I get a raft of emails from my boss each Sunday evening when he sits down to purge his inbox, but there's no expectation that I do anything about them until Monday morning.

Unless you're getting clear signs that you should be working at the weekends then don't feel the need to check your BlackBerry every minute. If on the other hand it is a job where you're expected not to have any free time, well, you need to decide whether that's right for you.

Anonymous -28 Apr 2011 | 17:14

Prioritise

The key to this is to ascertain which if any of the 50 emails requires a response there and then. Keep in mind that instantaneous responses are not always required even though BlackBerrys often push you to the mindset that you must reply straight away. By all means, if it helps you to manage your own workload and minimise the Monday morning stress of opening your inbox, check your emails over the weekend. But take a sensible approach to replies, or you will never be able to switch off properly from work.

treblig -29 Apr 2011 | 10:23

leave your cell in the office

There is a guy i knew once, in my previous office. He was in charge of the shop floor, and being in shop floor meant that even though he was not in office supervising, he might expect a call late at night asking for his decision. He changed that habit of his office by having two cell phones. one for office, and only office which he would leave in his desk, before coming out of the office in the evening, and the 2nd phone was for his personal use, which he switched off when in office, even though he had given the office number to a lot of his friends, but not with the personal phone. Initially it was a slight problem getting used to it, but a few weeks in , everybody got used to it.

manraj -30 Apr 2011 | 15:10

think about it

I'm sure you are an intelligent guy. I'm sure you have a consideration of your worth. Have some respect for yourself and weigh up when you need to reply and when you don't.

If somebody is willing to work and puts up no resistance then their employer will push and push. Strangely, the few that say 'wow, back off' demand more respect than the people who are willing to be walked over.

Don't get confused though. I'm not saying don't work hard - what's wrong with answering emails on the weekend? What I'm saying is, don't let yourself be pushed over. If your busy in personal time and the work is not important then tell your boss. In my experience those people have gone just as far as the pleasers. In saying that - you have to show that you work hard when you are on office hours!

Jack Wale -30 Apr 2011 | 18:29

Switch the thing off!

Just switch it off! It's bad enough that we lawyers have to spend such long hours in the office. Since when has it been OK for work to encroach on our time out of the office too? Don't we already give enough of ourselves? More of us need to take a stand and keep our Blackberries switched off outside working hours. I keep mine switched off when I'm not at work and my boss is used to it and doesn't expect an answer from me. My stance on this could mean that I may never make equity partner, but I would rather enjoy my life outside work, thank you. Vive la revolution!

Eddie -03 May 2011 | 12:12

Balance

A few comments: (a) my old boss used to send me loads of emails with lists of things to do but actually it was a way of reminding herself what she had asked me to do already, don't assume it is all about you; (b) like previous posters have said, stand up for yourself, not when you are busy and have no plans anyway but when you have important plans out of the office, make it clear that they are important to you and you are not going to cancel them on a whim; and (c)don't get into the habit of doing "normal work" at the weekends as people will just give you more. Emergencies are fine but not habitual weekend working. Try speaking to your boss and saying something like "I am concerned that I am not fulfilling your expectations of work in the week, as you seem to be sending me a lot of work at the weekend: is there anything I can do to help us both get out of the office on a Friday with a clean desk?"

Associate -03 May 2011 | 16:40

try talking

Why not just raise the question with your boss in a polite fashion to understand what his perception of the situation and "put the fish on the table"? If you cannot raise this type of issue now then you will forever be dancing around it. However, be prepared for a response that you do not like...

anon -03 May 2011 | 17:12

Be Assertive

18 years ago when I was at 2 years PQE stage, I was made to attend a course of assertiveness training. I didn't think I needed it but my managers knew better. The tutor taught us something very important. That is that you are a human being and as a human being you have rights and deserve respect of those rights by others. You can be assertive without being aggressive.

I've also done the Law Society's required Management Course for juniors, which included sections on management of time and resource allocation.

Does your manager need to learn how to use his time better during the week or does he need more staff resources during the week to deal with the work coming in?

The other posters are right. It's bothering you now so you need to raise it sooner rather than later, then you know where you are. What have you got to lose? You may not like the answer you get but at least you'll know from the horse's mouth what it really is.

Another thing. There's a fine line between a firm but fair manager who expects his staff to work hard when it's needed and a bully.

high street solicitor -04 May 2011 | 14:56

Watch it!

I hope s/he's not a cyber stalker.

Anon -09 May 2011 | 17:52

Is this question some sort of joke?

magic circle innit -09 May 2011 | 22:44