Every single night around 11 my boss sends me work stuff and then acts annoyed the next morning if I haven't responded. I have young kids and I'm trying to actually disconnect after 6pm. Yesterday I didn't answer until 7am and he called me out in a meeting about responsiveness. This is killing me. I need the paycheck but this job is making me miserable. Should I look elsewhere or am I just being soft?
This is the culture problem right here. Bosses send stuff after hours but expect an instant response like you're on call 24/7. You've got to set a boundary or it never stops.
This is exactly why I set boundaries around email. After 9pm my boss knows I'm not checking unless there's an actual emergency. Took a while to enforce but it's worth it for your sanity and your family time.
This is a work culture problem. He's sending emails late and then getting annoyed you're not responding at night? That's backwards. Either it's emergency level (rare) or it can wait until morning. Don't let him make that your problem to manage.
That's obnoxious and honestly disrespectful of your time. Your boss needs to understand that off-hours emails don't create urgency unless it's actually an emergency. Set boundaries - maybe turn off work notifications after a certain time or make it clear you'll respond in the morning.
I struggle with this too since I'm juggling work and custody time. Document when those emails are coming in though because if it's a pattern, that's information worth having if you ever need it.
Having a conversation about expectations might be worth it. Maybe your boss doesn't even realize they're doing it. I had to have that talk once and it completely changed my work life balance.
That's rough. Have you ever just responded to those 11pm emails at like 7am the next day and said you just got to them? Might help reset the expectation. Your boss should respect your off hours.
11pm emails are a power move and I hate it. Document this behavior if you can. When he asks why something wasn't done immediately, your honest answer is 'I was asleep.' If he expects round-the-clock availability he should be paying you for it.
That's not fair to you at all. You signed off, that's the boundary. The fact that he's annoyed YOU didn't respond at 11pm is completely backwards. Have you called this out directly?
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Document it. Seriously. If he's sending stuff at 11pm and then complaining you didn't respond, that's on him. You need to protect your time with your family.