My boss regularly emails me on the weekends. There’s nothing urgent that can’t wait until Monday, and while she doesn’t explicitly say that she expects an immediate response, I feel the pressure to do so, but this is intrusive of my personal time. Should I wait until Monday to respond and hope she gets the message, respond without saying anything, or ask if this can wait?
Many executives have begun proactively adding a disclaimer to their “off-hours” emails stating that this is a convenient time for them to be catching up but there’s no expectation for the recipient to respond at this time.
If a boss expects employees to routinely engage in email during their time off, then that should be understood from the beginning so employees can choose to opt out of the job. If it’s a new trend, direct communication is necessary.
Occasional off-hour interactions when there is a business necessity should be expected as part of any job, and for some roles, particularly at senior levels, catching up off-hours is normal and actually can help strengthen relationships, provided it doesn’t interfere with personal time regularly. Have a conversation with your boss about expectations so that you aren’t stressed about what to do.
I was scheduled for a Zoom interview for a job and the interviewer didn’t show up. I tried to contact the company and didn’t get a response so after 20 minutes I left. Apparently, the interviewer showed up 10 minutes after that, blamed me for not waiting, and now they won’t reschedule. Is that fair? What should I have done?
I wouldn’t be upset and I would re-schedule, but your actions were not what I would recommend.
If your interview was scheduled for a specific amount of time — say 30, 45 or 60 minutes — then you should stay connected for that duration while also trying to reach the employer. You don’t have to stare at the screen on camera the entire time — go about your business during the scheduled interview time, because you never know.
I think the prospective employer is being harsh not to reschedule, but maybe that’s a sign of the type of employer they are.
Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive. Hear Greg Wed. at 9:35 a.m. on iHeartRadio 710 WOR with Len Berman and Michael Riedel. Email: GoToGreg@NYPost.com. Follow: GoToGreg.com and on Twitter: @GregGiangrande
