Is it unprofessional to send 2am emails?

Have you ever sent an email at 2am, then quickly wondered if that was unprofessional based on the recipient (client, colleague, etc.)?

Has anyone ever told you that sending an email in the middle of the night is unprofessional?

Are these facts? Biases? What really matters? Let's unpack this stuff, shall we?

There is a lot of etiquette associated with professional relationships - and this is a good thing! I use etiquette to ensure others that I am professional and trustworthy.

Etiquette changes often with regard to how society and culture change - especially with regard to technology. So let's consider positives and negatives associated with  when we email.

Emails between 5am-11pm

• These emails are often seen as being sent during business hours - because business happens at so many different times based on the industry.
• But isn't 5am early? Not according to those who think early risers are committed to their work.
• The sun (even if it's cloudy) is necessary for some people when they work.

Emails sent between 12am-4am

• These emails are seen as being sent during non-business hours - people are generally assumed to be sleeping during these hours - by time zone, of course.
• Why aren't people who are willing to stay up late working not seen as committed to their work?
• Nighttime is also a necessity for others' work (like photographers!).

Wait...why do some photographers need to work late? Let me tell you - because daylight can make it difficult for me to edit photos. Editing photos at night means I get a more accurate look at the brightness, color, etc.

Let's consider what we think of early risers vs. night owls...and then stop thinking about it. It doesn't matter what time others email. They work when they work, and needed to reach out to you for feedback, to ask a question, to schedule a meeting, or to just say hi. It's so silly to think that time matters.

(But don't call or text in the middle of the night since noise may wake someone up...rude!)

Happy Friday!
​Autumn