Importance of reducing weekend work emails

✨People should not collapse exhausted into their vacation. Time and space for rest and recharging form an unmissable part of a healthy, everyday work culture✨ Before my burnout, I'd sprint hard for the finish line every day. And especially before vacation. This looked like: Me, in a day-to-day constant state of high alert, going from meeting to meeting while emails flooded in ceaselessly, working through the night to catch up (I never caught up). Me, falling asleep on the couch at 9pm every Friday night, exhausted (only to go back into the office the next day). Me, grouchy, resentful and utterly exhausted for the first few days of any vacation. Rest is not just key to preventing burnout and ensuring wellbeing. Abundant research shows: well-rested people are more productive, produce higher quality work, and enjoy more sustainable careers. We need to honor downtime. And, leaders need to role model these behaviors to ensure they walk the talk. Embedding rest in how we work can look like this: ✨ Create pockets of rest during the day: buffers between meetings, lunch breaks that are actual breaks (not learning sessions, and especially not learning sessions about burnout, please) ✨ Ensure evenings are protected: tools down, no emails / Slack on phone. Exceptions for deadlines or timezones should be explicitly, immediately compensated at other times (e.g. later start time in the morning or a break in the afternoon to disconnect) ✨Make weekends weekends again: no communications over weekend. Schedule emails / messages to be sent Monday. Be explicit about expectations (e.g. "I'm sending this now as I'm about to board a flight, but it's not urgent so please don't action it until Tuesday") ✨ Block vacations as times for total disconnection: this takes planning and collaboration as a team to look out for each other. And it pays off for everyone – as well as organizational outcomes and culture. When we get enough rest, we go on vacation with the energy and mindset we need to be able to truly enjoy, reset, reconnect, be active (or not) – in other words, to truly be nourished and energized by our vacation time. I'm curious: How do you ensure rest is a part of your work life, day to day, week to week, and on vacation? #burnout #burnoutprevention #vacationmode #workculture

It's 08:07 on Saturday morning and one of my clients, a brilliant senior TA, texted me: “Is it bad I’m already checking emails? I just want to get ahead of Monday.” I paused. Not because I didn’t understand but because I’ve heard this exact sentence before. Too many times. That quiet tension, the one TA teams feel when they know they should rest but can’t, is real. And it’s growing louder. Here’s what I’ve learned after working with dozens of TA professionals and leaders: It's not just hiring managers pushing timelines, or overflowing reqs or the tech tools that never quite work the way they should. It's the reality that candidates are searching for jobs 24/7. Candidates are always on. They apply at midnight. They message at 6 AM. They follow up on Sundays. And so, slowly but surely TA teams start waking up on Saturdays feeling the urge to check in. To make sure someone hasn’t slipped through. To feel “caught up.” To reduce that Sunday night anxiety before it even starts. But here’s the thing: You weren’t hired to be 24/7. You were hired to be strategic. To build high-quality pipelines. To help teams grow through people, not panic. And yet the pressure to be immediately responsive creates this warped equation: Speed = success. But you and I both know that’s not true. Speed without clarity leads to churn. Speed without process leads to burnout. Speed without strategy leads to regret hires. So what’s the alternative? From what I’ve seen, the best TA teams don’t chase urgency. They build intentional systems to create space: ✅ Pre-written email templates with weekend boundaries ✅ SLAs and expectations that you own and communicate ✅ Strategic planning before Friday ends, not during Saturday coffee And perhaps most importantly: They give themselves permission to log off, not as an act of defiance, but as an act of professionalism. Because no candidate is worth sacrificing your health, your time, or your joy. You’re not lazy for resting. You’re not uncommitted for disconnecting. You’re not bad at your job because you don’t reply at 9 PM. You’re strategic enough to build a process that works without sacrificing your peace to serve someone else’s panic. If you feel this, know you’re not alone. And if you’re ready to lead your TA practice with more boundaries and more strategic clarity, I’m building tools and frameworks exactly for this. Because high performance shouldn’t require burnout. Let’s rewire the system. 💬 Drop a “❤️” if this hit close.

“Heads up. There are changes coming. We can talk on Monday.” - Your Boss Really?! Yes. I have seen this happen far too often over the last 30 years and I can tell you how to stop it: Call it out. Most of the time, managers appear to be blissfully ignorant that sending a cryptic note on Friday (or over the weekend) is like dropping a “water balloon” of worry on people. So, when someone does this, call them out on it. I’ve spoken with multiple managers about this throughout my career. When I told them that I had been thinking about their note all weekend, each one acted surprised. To their credit, however, each one avoided doing it in the future. I don’t consider myself a worrier. But, when someone drops a nonspecific, seemingly urgent message on a Friday, my mind is going to leap into action and spend the weekend busy. Whether I like it or not, message like this often lead to worry. Perhaps this is just me, but I will bet a lot of people on your team feel the same way. So, don’t put them through it! Avoid sending important messages on Fridays or after hours! Unless it has to do with an urgent issue, wait until Monday. Great leaders insulate their teams from churn, and careless messages after hours or before the weekend can be needlessly stressful and disruptive. As a leader, ask yourself what value there is in sending the message NOW instead of Monday morning. While operational issues should be communicated immediately, most other issues do not rise to that level of urgency. And, if the news is incomplete or not actionable, it can certainly wait for an appropriate time. This is one concrete way to actually support the idea of work/life balance: Rather than having people consider your Friday message, let them enjoy their weekend with friends and family. They’ll be refreshed and better prepared for any challenge that comes on Monday morning. Do you agree or disagree? Have you had this sort of message dropped on you? I hope not too often. Have a good weekend everyone!

During a call today, a client referred to one of my Entrepreneur Media articles about proper email etiquette. She asked for further reasoning about why I advise against "most" email communication during weekends, holidays, and off-hours. Here's a quick recap of some whys: In today's hyperconnected world, it's easy to fall into the trap of constantly being available and responsive. However, there's tremendous value in establishing boundaries, especially when it comes to email communication during weekends, holidays, and off-hours. Here's why: 1️⃣ It signals desperation to prospective clients. By refraining from email communication during non-work hours, you convey a sense of professionalism and balance. It shows that you prioritize your personal time and well-being, which in turn portrays confidence and self-assurance. Remember, clients are more likely to value your services when they perceive you as composed and in control. 2️⃣ It reflects poor time organization and nervousness. Sending or responding to emails during weekends or off-hours can inadvertently communicate a lack of effective time management. It may convey the impression that you're overwhelmed or unable to prioritize tasks effectively. By setting boundaries and reserving non-work hours for personal relaxation and rejuvenation, you demonstrate your ability to maintain a well-organized schedule and deliver optimal results. 3️⃣ It fosters a healthy work-life balance and avoids workaholic tendencies. Promoting a healthy work-life balance is essential for overall well-being and sustained productivity. When you consistently engage in work-related activities outside of your designated hours, it can lead to burnout and hinder your ability to focus and perform at your best. By prioritizing your personal time and disconnecting from work during weekends and off-hours, you create space for relaxation, hobbies, and meaningful connections, which ultimately fuels your productivity during work hours. Additionally, it's crucial to consider the long-term effects of your actions. Responding to emails during non-work hours establishes a precedent that you are always available, which can lead to others expecting immediate responses from you during their own off-hours. To address urgent situations, such as a client website crashing or critical issues affecting team members, utilize direct communication channels like text or phone calls. This ensures that genuine emergencies receive the attention they require while preserving the boundaries you've set. By prioritizing focused work during designated hours and nurturing our personal lives during off-hours, we can achieve greater fulfillment and sustained success. Balance is key to achieving excellence in all aspects of our lives. #WorkLifeBalance #Productivity #WellBeing #Professionalism

Clearing my plate at night doesn’t mean I should pile it onto someone else’s. I’ll admit—there were moments when I thought, “If I send this email now, it’s off my list.” But here’s the truth: when I clear my plate late at night or over the weekend, I’m unintentionally putting it onto someone else’s. Leaders often talk about future of work—AI, automation, hybrid, resilience. But here’s a simple, very human truth: 👍Respecting boundaries is part of the future of work too. 👍We all need time to switch off. 👍We all need leaders who don’t just say “take a break,” but actually model it. So now, I ask myself before hitting send: 👉 Can this wait until morning? 👉 Is this urgent—or just my urge to get it off my plate? Last night, I almost slipped. Then I caught myself. Mails are only going out this morning. I’m still learning, still fine-tuning. Because leadership isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being conscious. 👉 “I’m curious — how do you personally set boundaries with late-night or weekend emails? Do you use delayed send, team agreements, or just pure discipline? Let’s share ideas — we might all pick up something new. #Leadership #FutureOfWork #Boundaries #Human #linkedin

I coached a lawyer last month who hadn't taken a real weekend off in years. When I asked why, his answer stunned me: "I'm afraid of what will happen if I stop." Those words revealed the prison that keeps so many attorneys chained to their desks: Stop checking email at 10pm. Stop working weekends. Stop taking clients who don't respect boundaries. Stop being available 24/7. The imagined catastrophes are vivid and terrifying: • Cases will fall apart • Clients will leave • Income will plummet • Your reputation will crumble After coaching many attorneys over the years, I can tell you what actually happens when lawyers intentionally set limits: • Work quality improves with mental clarity • Client relationships deepen with boundary-setting • Income often increases with strategic focus • Reputation strengthens as burnout fades That lawyer? He finally took a full weekend off after our session. Monday morning came. His practice was still there. His clients were still there. And for the first time in years, so was he - fully present, recharged, and ready. What would you stop doing if you weren't afraid of the consequences? Follow for more insights on breaking free from what's holding you back. #TheFreeLawyer

“Your Sunday emails send the wrong message.” That one sentence changed how I lead. When I moved from China to Europe, I brought a habit with me: Sending emails on Sunday to “get ahead” for Monday. In China, this was normal. The 996 culture is a badge of dedication. But one Sunday, a Swedish colleague replied: “Your Sunday emails send the wrong message. Your team might think they need to overwork, too. Your boss might think you’re overwhelmed. Enjoy your weekends. You’ve got a life too!” She wasn’t being rude. She was being honest. And she was right. Here’s what I learned: ✅ She spoke to me, not about me. It wasn’t criticism, it was care. Her honesty earned my respect and a lifelong friendship. ✅ Cultures shape expectations. In China, overworking shows dedication. In Sweden, it can be seen as poor boundaries. Same action, completely different meaning. ✅ Actions shape perception. To my boss, I looked maxed out. To my team, I seemed to expect a weekend reply. Neither was true, but my actions told a different story. Since then, I’ve been more intentional. Not just about what I do, but how it lands. Hard work matters. So does cultural awareness, and what your behavior communicates. How do cultural expectations shape the way you lead?

Do you email your team on Sundays? When I started my career, I was always-on, 24/7. If something needed to be done, I would take care of it, no matter if it was the middle of the night or the weekend. Being always-on came at the expense of my mental and physical health. It took many years to repay the burnout debt, and I am not even sure it's been repaid in full, yet. As an ambitious and self-motivated young professional, it's hard to: - Know what is the limit; - Create boundaries between private and professional life; - Feel secure about meeting expectations. As a manager, it's your responsibility to help your team by setting clear expectations and boundaries. Beware that without proper communication, the signal you send your team with an email on weekends is: "I'm working on weekends, so you should too". Of course you can catch up on work whenever you want. But should that negatively impact the ability of your team to take time off and rest? If I catch up on emails on weekends, I schedule the reply to be sent during the work week. You? 💭 #leadership #management #worklifebalance

Executives, stop sending needless emails and Slack messages to employees on the weekend. Telling them they don’t need to reply is not enough. I’ve seen a few execs add a note to their email signature to the effect of: “My working hours may not be your working hours. Please do not feel obligated to reply outside of your normal work schedule.” I think that’s great! But it’s short-sighted. Even if you have a formalized company policy that messages need not be responded to outside of regular work hours, when an employee gets an email from an executive on a weekend or late in the night, it’s disruptive and stressful. As many people at Demandbase can attest… I used to be guilty of this too. I think about work items during the weekend. Like I’m sure a lot of of you do too.  I used to reach out in real time when I had questions, even if it wasn’t time sensitive or strategic.  And it forced people to think about what’s on my mind. Until, I discovered a simple solution… Use the SCHEDULE button! Make a commitment to yourself to schedule messages, not just fire them off.  You’ll be amazed that you lose no velocity and increase company energy. It’s not only better for employees, it’s better for you and the culture. P.S. Of course there are urgent items that sometimes need to be covered in real time over a weekend–like deal work at the close of the quarter, or time sensitive legal agreements, or big product releases. But the majority of communication we think is urgent over the weekend can be scheduled for the work week.

WHAT DOES BURNOUT COST YOUR INSTITUTION? An article in today's IHE reports on the prevalence and effect of burnout among university professional staff. "It found some “disturbing trends”: more than half reported regularly working more than 10 hours per day; more than 67 percent said they experience frequent, disruptive interruptions; and two-thirds worked during their free time." The cost, while not quantified in the study, is enormous. “As individuals experience burnout, many choose to leave their employer or the sector altogether, destabilizing the teams left behind and adding further financial burden to the already stretched purse in a continuous, self-defeating cycle,” she told Times Higher Education." This reminded me of one of the most impactful practices that our senior leadership team enacted together at IWU. We officially adopted an email protocol in which, among other things, we committed not to send each other work-related emails from 6:00 pm on Friday to 6:00 pm on Sunday (excepting unusual/emergency events).  We told the IWU community what we were doing and why. We didn't make it mandatory across the university. We just told them what the senior team was doing and encouraged other departments to follow suit if they could. We weren’t sure how this would work, or if it would really make much difference in our work culture. After six months, we were amazed at the impact, not only on our team, but across the university. There was an avalanche of positive response. Many told us what a difference it made for them that the senior team gave them permission to prioritize their mental, emotional, and spiritual health in this way. To honor the protocol, we had to be flexible when weekend duties required communication between us, but none of us would want to go back to our old ways of virtual non-stop communication.