I saw THIS interesting study today, and it reinforced one of the messages I took from that cool article I posted recently.

I think email is a really difficult problem, and one that there is not enough time to address in this post. That said, part of having a good lab code of ethics (see this awesome one HERE) is being clear about email expectations. One of the best lines in that code of conduct linked above is this:

“While I may be sending this email outside my normal office hours, I have no expectation to receive a reply outside yours.”

I have started to include clear (I hope) expectations about email in my syllabi as well, to let students know that they cannot expect me to see their email on weekends or at night (although, frankly, I usually do). I hope they get the idea that work-life balance is important, and there is every chance I will be spending the weekend with my wife, daughter, and friends, but that during my copious work hours I will work hard to give them what they need.