| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you reply to work-related emails and messages on weekends or holidays? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you reply to work-related emails and messages on weekends or holidays?".
View the poll results »
[Subject edited by staff or moderator 2023-05-09 12:51 GMT]
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 01:16
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
...reply when I'm on vacation, but not during the weekend. I normally switch off my computer on Friday evening, only to switch it back on on Monday morning. Unless I have work to do in the weekend, but it has been a few years now that I'm trying hard to avoid that (with success, I must say).
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I do check my email during the weekend. I must say though that my customers don't send emails on weekends but for a few exceptions over the years. Regarding holidays, I work straight through the year. I used to take a month-long vacation when my children were still at home, but those days are long gone and we haven’t spent vacations together for some time (trying to get 14 people agreeing on the same date and place is an almost impossible task…). Nowadays, I enjoy having one or two days off ... See more I do check my email during the weekend. I must say though that my customers don't send emails on weekends but for a few exceptions over the years. Regarding holidays, I work straight through the year. I used to take a month-long vacation when my children were still at home, but those days are long gone and we haven’t spent vacations together for some time (trying to get 14 people agreeing on the same date and place is an almost impossible task…). Nowadays, I enjoy having one or two days off here and there between jobs. It all adds up probably to more than 4/5 weeks a year, but I’m not counting! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baran Keki 
Türkiye
Local time: 02:16
Member
English to Turkish
| Nature of the beast | May 8, 2023 |
'Switch off' at your own peril... One of the shittiest aspects of this job is that it's a '24/7' job. I've recently got a direct client from USA (the 'Holy Grail'!) by replying to an email on a Saturday.
In my experience, it's mostly the Moldovan PMs of the so-called 'London agencies' that contact you on weekends for a 3000 word translation task to be delivered on Sunday morning at a cool 4 cents per word (they're being generous like that on weekends), so I give them a miss. But other tha... See more 'Switch off' at your own peril... One of the shittiest aspects of this job is that it's a '24/7' job. I've recently got a direct client from USA (the 'Holy Grail'!) by replying to an email on a Saturday.
In my experience, it's mostly the Moldovan PMs of the so-called 'London agencies' that contact you on weekends for a 3000 word translation task to be delivered on Sunday morning at a cool 4 cents per word (they're being generous like that on weekends), so I give them a miss. But other than them, you never know what's in store for you...
In my 6 years of freelancing, I've never once attempted to go on a week long holiday and 'switch off'. Because I'm strictly a desktop person and I think it defeats the purpose of a holiday to bring along your laptop and do a bit of translating while you're meant to be getting away from it all. I just couldn't do that (and if you can't do that, then you're liable to lose clients or your privileged position, unless of course you're working with those 'boutique agencies' who can't do without you).
I miss the paid 4 week leaves and free weekends of my in-house job... ▲ Collapse
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| Yes, sometimes | May 8, 2023 |
It depends on the holiday. I usually work throughout. However, I never check my email when I'm on vacation.
| | | | Alex Lichanow
Germany
Local time: 01:16
Member (2020)
English to German
+ ...
My existing customers know that I do not work weekends (unless I feel like it and/or have to for any reason), and most of them appear to enjoy their weekends themselves, so I hardly ever receive any actual emails on weekends, not counting some automated search agent updates.
As for holidays, I usually inform my customers about any public holidays coming up in the next month and set up an automatic response with my email provider. Also, my phone pushes my business emails, so when I see that... See more My existing customers know that I do not work weekends (unless I feel like it and/or have to for any reason), and most of them appear to enjoy their weekends themselves, so I hardly ever receive any actual emails on weekends, not counting some automated search agent updates.
As for holidays, I usually inform my customers about any public holidays coming up in the next month and set up an automatic response with my email provider. Also, my phone pushes my business emails, so when I see that an email is actually worth answering before the next business day, I will do so - at the end of the day, the minute of free time I lose by replying to an email is not worth nearly as much as a lucrative job on which I would miss out otherwise.
[Edited at 2023-05-08 11:58 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ventnai
Spain
Local time: 01:16
German to English
+ ...
I'd say yes with the caveat that I rarely receive emails at the weekend. The last one was probably a few years ago. I reply straightaway as I may forget. I might delay the email being sent until 8 a.m. Monday. If it's a project from a regular client, I'll acknowledge receipt and set up the translation ready to start.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 01:16
Spanish to English
+ ...
Unless it is on one of those rare occasions when I'm actually on a "real" holiday.
For example, in June I will be away for a couple weeks and I probably won't respond personally to any work that comes in from clients. A couple of trusted colleagues will be standing in for me.
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My regular clients do not usually mail me at weekends, so any work-related mails that come are from new clients or occasional clients.
If I am working - because I take days off mid-week when it suits me - I often answer work-related mails, perhaps from occasional clients who send interesting jobs.
However, I reserve the right to keep weekends free, and if I feel a mail will keep until Monday, I may leave it! (E.g. job requests from agencies that I know pay low rates.)
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Today is a bank holiday in the UK so I’m not answering polls either.
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I really don't have the luxury of missing a potential client. If a client calls during a weekend or holiday and I'm able, I'll asnwer the phonecall/email/whatsapp. What I don't do is work on weekends and holidays, so I'll try to "set" the start day during the week and if they want something done NOW then they'd better be ready to pay some absurd premium.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:16
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Different days in different countries | May 8, 2023 |
I'm based in the UK but I work almost exclusively with Italian clients.
Italian national holidays are not the same as in the UK.
Today, for example, is a holiday in the UK but not in Italy so although the streets here in London are very quiet and most people are not at work, Italy is working a normal day, so I'm still getting emails and I'm working.
When it's a national holiday in Italy it usually isn't in the UK- so I dont get any emails from Italy (usual... See more I'm based in the UK but I work almost exclusively with Italian clients.
Italian national holidays are not the same as in the UK.
Today, for example, is a holiday in the UK but not in Italy so although the streets here in London are very quiet and most people are not at work, Italy is working a normal day, so I'm still getting emails and I'm working.
When it's a national holiday in Italy it usually isn't in the UK- so I dont get any emails from Italy (usually)
[Edited at 2023-05-08 21:01 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Barbara Carrara
Italy
Local time: 01:16
Member (2008)
English to Italian
+ ...
| Baran Keki
Türkiye
Local time: 02:16
Member
English to Turkish
| Safety first! | May 9, 2023 |
Barbara Carrara wrote:
Messgaes?
It's a good practice not to reply to "Messgaes" or any 'Messages' that contain typos or spelling errors any day of the week (holiday or no holiday). I learned this in a cybersecurity training text that I translated some months ago. I probably shouldn't have revealed such an important piece information publicly out of sheer altruism and the goodness of me heart, but included it in my 'Safety for Translators in the Age of AI-Proof Localization' course which I aim to launch at a modest fee 900 EUR per session this July. The Super Early Bird registration fee is only 899 EUR and will be available between 30 June - 1 July, so hurry up people!
We'll teach you (and your grandmother) how to suck eggs like you've never had before! No prior knowledge of CAT tools or translation or indeed keyboard use is necessary. Come and learn how to localize people's names and addresses, communicate with ChatGPT and make effective use of Google Translate and MateCAT.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:16
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Baran Keki wrote:
.... my 'Safety for Translators in the Age of AI-Proof Localization' course which I aim to launch at a modest fee 900 EUR per session this July. The Super Early Bird registration fee is only 899 EUR and will be available between 30 June - 1 July, so hurry up people!
Unfortunately this may not be a joke.
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