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[quote=Anonymous]I'm a litigator and occasionally put in after hours work.  usually, I can plan it ahead of time (eg - there's a court deadline that I know i'll be scrambling to meet; so DH and kids are on notice that I might not be around a couple of evenings).  when there is nothing expected, i'll check my work phone most evenings once and most weekends twice just to make sure there is no emergency.  there usually is not, and people don't bother me at home.

Still, even when things come up, some things are nonnegotiable.  when my DH is out of town (frequent), I do school pickup, often leaving the office at 5.  also, we try to do dinner as a family, even if one or both of us go back to work after.  phone is off during dinner and bedtime, even if I have to log back on later.  kids are small and generally in bed by 8.  so, absent some planned deadline, I am generally totally unavailable from 530 to 8pm.  i'll pick things up after that if necessary and it can't wait until the next workday.  mostly, my workplace is pretty respectful of that and doesn't insist on after hours responses unless there is a genuine need.

honestly, if after hours responses were generally expected, I'd be looking for other work.  I had a supervisor a few years back that was in the habit of sending emails last thing before she went to bed at night and first thing in the morning.  so, at 8am, I would log on to find messages from her on the same topic sent at 11pm and 6am.  After a few weeks of that, I found some way to inquire as to whether she actually thought I should be checking messages in between there.  she said no!  she in fact seemed a little horrified that it made me worried; that's just her preferred rhythm for getting work done -- clearing out her inbox morning and night, and sometimes she would think of something different by morning.[/quote]

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