HR, the office and your own time

“You there?”

I answer Slack messages at 10pm because I'm scared of looking unresponsive.

What's really going on

• Always-on tools like Slack create an expectation of instant availability that nobody actually agreed to. The fear behind the 10pm reply is usually about how you look, not about a real emergency.
• Funnily enough, always being available tends to look reactive rather than valuable. Managers often trust and promote people who communicate clearly and protect their time over people who answer everything instantly.
• Every time you reply outside your stated hours, you reset the expectation for next time. A boundary you don't hold consistently isn't a boundary.
• Several EU countries (France, Belgium, Italy, Ireland and others) have some form of legal "right to disconnect" outside working hours. There's no single EU-wide law yet, so what applies depends on your country. Check your local law.

What to say

"Quick heads-up: I'm generally offline after 6 and on weekends. If something's genuinely on fire, just call me instead of Slacking."

Change the words so they sound like you, but keep the tone.