So, picture this, you’re sitting at dinner with your friend, and suddenly, ding!—a text message pops up. It is your boss. Ah, the dreaded afterwork boss text. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? Well, some of us! Just when you are putting aside the worries of the day, your boss decides to invade dinner with your best friend or family with a surprise text message: “Hey, I need you to send me the quotes for the proposal ASAP!” This can induce anxiety in the best of us!
First, take a deep breath and resist the urge to panic. Stay calm and avoid jumping to conclusions. The vagueness of the text can leave you feeling like you are in BIG trouble or that you forgot to send the requested items earlier!
Before you break away from the dinner table into a frenzy, evaluate the message’s content. Is it something that truly requires your immediate attention, or is it more of an FYI situation? ASAP means different things to different people. For instance, I interpret ASAP as ‘right now’; however for a previous manager, it meant ‘in the next day or two’. You will need to seek clarity on expectations.
If the evening text genuinely requires your immediate attention or if you feel uncomfortable ignoring it, craft a brief and concise response. Let your boss know that you’ve received the message and that you’ll address it first thing in the morning. This acknowledges their communication while maintaining boundaries.
If this becomes a recurring issue, it might be worthwhile to have a conversation with your boss about setting boundaries for after-hours communication. With the work from home trend, it can be quite difficult for some employees to know when to turn off. You must first set those expectations with yourself. Clarify the timing with your boss. Politely express your need for personal time outside of work hours and suggest alternative ways to handle non-urgent matters. We’re all human beings, and even bosses should understand the importance of work-life balance.
Finally, if you find that after work texts from your boss are becoming a regular occurrence, take note of the patterns. Reflect on whether it’s an isolated incident or a systemic issue. If it’s the latter, consider discussing it with HR or seeking advice from a trusted colleague or mentor. As I mentioned earlier you need to get clarity on expectations and monitor if they overstep their own word.
Key Takeaways
After work texts from your boss can induce anxiety as you are attempting to turn-off from work, but it’s important to stay calm and avoid jumping to conclusions. Here are a few key takeaways.
- Evaluate the urgency of the message and address it during regular working hours if it’s not an emergency.
- Set boundaries with your boss regarding after-hours communication and suggest alternative ways to handle non-urgent matters. If you must respond, do so briefly and let them know you’ll address it in the morning.
- If after-work texts become a regular occurrence, take some time to review the boundaries agreed upon and remind your boss of the agreement.
- If all else fails, consider discussing the issue with HR and seek our resources to help you maintain a work life balance.
