As part of USA TODAY’s series, Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles human resources questions. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest HR professional organization, and author of Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.
Have a question? Please submit here.
Question: I received a text message from my manager at 10:30 the other night. I didn’t notice it until the next morning, so I replied then. Later she asked me why I didn’t reply that night. This isn’t the first time I’ve reached out to her after hours or on weekends, hoping she’ll respond right away. I’m afraid to push back too much for fear of being labeled as not fully committed. Is constant availability a sign of commitment or dysfunction? How can you set respectful boundaries and expectations? – Sarah
Answer: Constant availability does not necessarily reflect commitment. In some cases, fatigue may be hidden. But before you push back, be sure to understand the workplace culture and expectations of your role.
Fundamentally, I believe that there is no such thing as good or bad culture, there is only culture, except for cultures that are illegal, unethical, and immoral. After all, cultural clarity is kindness and helps employees decide in advance if this is the organization they want to work for.
Some organizations expect their employees to be available outside of business hours. That doesn’t automatically make them toxic. It just means their rhythms are different. Consider the nature of your business. Hospitals, newsrooms, and cybersecurity companies operate 24/7. There is a sense of urgency built into the job. But if your workplace culture values late-night availability simply because your boss prefers late-night availability, that’s a leadership issue, not a business necessity.
There is an important difference between flexibility and availability. Flexibility means responding from time to time when true emergencies arise. It’s give and take. Availability means being “on” all the time for no good reason, leading to burnout and resentment. Great leaders know the difference.
If you don’t know what is expected, make it clear. You can say:
“I always want to deliver quality work and respond quickly when it matters most. To ensure we meet our customers’ expectations, could you please clarify when a response is truly time sensitive and when we need to wait until normal business hours?”
It shows that you are professional rather than defensive, and that you are focused on results rather than strict schedules.
Still, sometimes the disagreement isn’t related to communication. It’s about culture. If your manager truly believes that success requires being available 24/7, but you value balance and boundaries, you may simply be made for a different work culture. I’ve seen it done firsthand. Many years ago, I interviewed a candidate for a successful technology company. He came in wearing jeans and a T-shirt. I was wearing a suit and tie. Although he was smart and capable, his culture was not a good fit for our more formal work environment. The disagreement was not a question of ability. It was about compatibility and comfort.
The same may be true here. Your manager may not be a bad leader, but he or she may just not be the right leader for you.
At the end of the day, culture clarity is more important than calendar management. If you can’t align your values with the pace of the workplace, no amount of boundaries will erase the mismatch.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
