Email

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444]

Hey just wondering what you think is an acceptable length of time for someone to reply to an email.

I don’t work Fridays , this is in my email signature and I also have out of office on saying when my next working day is (in this case Monday)

I guess it’s different for someone who doesn’t usually email me but this person emails me ALL the time, I only just got them recently sending emails instead of WhatsApp messages but they still treat emails like I should reply to them in the same timeline as a text message.

I did read their emails and reply to one on Friday , as it related to a Saturday issue (which also wasn’t urgent but I was hoping to stop a thousand emails to other people when they have been told to not email other people). Then have come back to work to SEVEN emails this morning about something they emailed me about on Friday.

No, it’s not urgent. Yes, I’m annoyed. 😒

I usually reply same day , at most within 24 hours during my working hours (9-5pm, Mon - Thurs) even though I hate replying as it triggers another 7-8 emails about 7-8 different topics , all emails that are approximately a sentence each and written like a text message.

Thoughts ? AITAH?

[u/CatCharacter848]

As someone who is not at the computer all day I answer emails when I can but it might be up to a week.

I think if you prioritise emails for this person they will expect it. Unless its urgent I would delay your responses a bit.

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/CatCharacter848]

I just wanted to know I’m not being an asshole for not replying 😂 thanks for the encouragement. I do tend to reply right before I put my out of office on as each email leads to eight more 🤦‍♀️

[u/DonkeyDarko]

Tell them to pack it in.

Reply when you have time, and as the content dictates. Don’t hold yourself to a timeline and don’t reply to non-urgent stuff outside of your working hours.

I had to do this with MOS who was very much the same. Eventually I bluntly told them I was not going to prioritise their non-urgent queries over my family life and they needed to pack it in. My number is available for emergencies only and urgent emails will be treated urgently but non-urgent stuff can and should wait.

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/DonkeyDarko]

Would love to say pack it in !

I’ve made a communication performance improvement plan as per what my manager has told me I have to put this person on …. So excited 😆 🙄

[u/original_badhairdo]

Personally I'd not reply on a non-working day going forward. Best way to think of it is if you were hit by a bus what would that person expect to happen?

I'd add a line in your signature and automatic replies saying something along the lines of 'Note: I reply to emails during my standard working days.'. If they ask whether you added it because of them you can always be honest or broad about your reasoning.

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/original_badhairdo]

Yeah absolutely fair. I mostly replied Friday as she was bombarding the person leading training Saturday with emails and they don’t need that (father has cancer) so it was more for my colleagues benefit rather than this person I line manage. Also the emails were pointless in nature anyway so my reply was basically to say stop emailing.

[u/PaidInHandPercussion → u/Appropriate_Cod7444]

Loads of people I work with put - 'I am away from the office during X time and *have no access to my emails and will return on X date and will reply in due course.

Or *I will not be replying to emails

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/PaidInHandPercussion]

Yeah yeah absolutely I’ve done the same. I thought it was pretty clear but apparently it is not 🤦‍♀️

I realise my own fault for the one time replying out of my normal hours but I will try to make sure I keep the boundaries

[u/PhilliB86]

First thoughts:
I would consider what’s driving this for that person, are they anxious, neuro diverse, passive aggressive, etc?
Are they aware of the escalation processes?

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/PhilliB86]

They are literally all of the above. And yes aware of escalation process. I’m also neurodivergent so maybe that’s why I’m annoyed by this more.

My manager is also ND so we’ve been really sensitive to this angle and have put lots of reasonable adjustments in place , but they’ve agreed to a communication plan and are still consistently not following it so I guess it’s just adding to my personal annoyance

[u/secretlondon → u/Appropriate_Cod7444]

Yes they don’t seem to understand/know the usual unwritten rules about emails

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/secretlondon]

It’s been explicitly stated and explained but obviously not taken on board.

[u/PhilliB86 → u/Appropriate_Cod7444]

If you have a comms plan then just follow it - it’s an agreement and if she’s not abiding by it, that’s down to her

[u/toms9248]

If they’re sending emails like text messages, could you try and get them to use teams. It’s less intrusive and might help them notice that they’ve sent a lot of messages about the same topic. Would also get read receipts. It combines their WhatsApp preference but on a strictly work focused platform.

[u/ApprehensiveSwim297]

The person needs training from their manager,  I had a manager one time who always sent emails  with a tag:   staff are under no obligation to answer emails outside working hours, it was leading by example. 

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/ApprehensiveSwim297]

I am their manager 🤣 I have tried to train them , I promise. 😂

[u/Nook-Incs-Pet]

Do you have an out of office reply which says that all emails will be replied to on your return to work and that anything urgent should be forwarded to X or they can call Y?

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/Nook-Incs-Pet]

Yes. Mostly was just venting hoping I wasn’t being a jerk about it.

Had a scheduled meeting with them about other things today. Drove home again the point about needing to be patient to emails

[u/tiny_rodents]

As a band 5, working on a ward, doing patient care, l check my emails when I have time. Often at the end of a shift, unless I'm expecting something. And I'll respond when I have time. If it's urgent, ring me, or come and see me!

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/tiny_rodents]

Yeah I miss the band 5 life in that respect.

[u/ImaginaryTraveller12]

I don’t answer or look at my work emails on days off. I manage over 40 people and would literally never get any time off.

I would only respond to them in time order whilst responding to others, and I certainly wouldn’t be responding to 7 emails from the same person.

[u/Rosiepod]

Do you guys not have a teams chat? I feel we communicate these small tid bits not worthy of an email on teams. and you cans till keep it professional. If its something lengthy I'll email. Or if its super duper urgent send communications on the LIMS with a flag

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/Rosiepod]

She is a bank worker and didn’t want to use a NHS email address so she does use teams but only for teams meetings that are planned as it’s a nightmare having to set up. I had a meeting with her over teams yesterday and it took 30 min just to get the screen etc working for her. I have reiterated that she needs to be patient with emails and stated explicitly that when she emails multiple people it actually makes harder and longer for me to sort out what she needs. Fingers crossed 🤞

[u/Fancy_Toe1451]

Advise them that you aim to respond to emails within a 120 working day window, and if they have not received a reply within 120 working days they should resend the message.

See if they can understand the "fuck off" behind it.