CEOs try to balance email, personal time on weekends
This week’s question: Do you refrain from checking work email on the weekends for one or both days? Why or why not?
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On Saturdays, due to the Jewish Shabbat. It is also a healthy work habit to clear your mind.
Daniel Ades, managing partner, Kawa Capital Management
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I always check email. My business is communications, which is active 24/7/365 and quick checks give me peace of mind. However, I’m not a slave to email and feel I balance work and personal life seven days a week.
Christine Barney, CEO, RBB Communications
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I do not refrain from checking my work email on weekends. I have important buyers that occasionally work on weekends putting together Purchase Orders and I let them know that should they have any questions, they can contact me by email, even on weekends, and get a quick response not having to wait till Monday. Though my weekends are enjoyed spending quality time with my family, my business is part of me 24/7.
Richard Behar, founder and CEO, Capitol Clothing Corp.
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I don't refrain. Why or why not? My philosophy of service and partnership with my local and global clients makes me be on call always — and gladly.
Carmen Castillo, president and CEO, SDI International
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I generally catch up on emails on weekends. I try to do it when I'm alone. I think it's more important to turn off the phone when you are spending time with other people, be it family, friends or in a business situation. Emails and text messages should be done in private, like reading a book or writing a letter. In a perfect world that's what I try to do; of course the world is never perfect.
Alicia Cervera Lamadrid, managing partner, Cervera Real Estate
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I am a start-up business, so I check emails as often as I think about it and whenever I am expecting something important to insure a timely response to the sender. I am not bound by time but rather importance. Just as I skim through the physical mail to discern which is must important, I do the same with email. On Sundays, I limit my email checking to a phone response versus sitting at the computer.
Pandwe Gibson, executive director, EcoTech Visions
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I am always checking my emails and often use weekends as a time to catch up on any pending responses or issues I need to address. With a 24/7 hotel operation, I need to be available at all times.
Julie Grimes, managing partner, Hilton Bentley Hotel
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I try not to check emails on Sundays because it's the day that my entire family gets together. I actually take Mondays off mostly because I work on Saturdays, and Mondays are so crazy for most people I decided that I no longer wanted to subscribe to that craziness.
Felecia Hatcher, co-founder of Feverish Gourmet Pops
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I check email both days but not constantly. As a business owner, I believe that it is a moral obligation to be prepared for an employee or client emergency. However, if there is really an emergency, someone calls. This is clearly my own character flaw.
Ann Machado, founder and president, Creative Staffing
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I check emails much less frequently during weekends because I think it allows me to gain distance and perspective from matters I address during the week. I think it leads to greater thought and more considered decision-making.
Victor Mendelson, co-president, HEICO
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I do check emails over the weekend because my work and personal lives are very closely intertwined. However, I try to check it only at allocated times during the weekend so I’m not distracted during my family time.
Nitin Motwani, managing principal, Miami Worldcenter Associates
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My business is built on customer service and communication. So for me, being on top of the communication flow is essential to my success as a leader. I do my best to take a day of rest on Sunday, but to be honest, for me it’s a struggle because there is so much exciting work to be done.
Abe Ng, founder and CEO of Sushi Maki
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I like to be accessible to any business where I am an investor, operator or adviser 100 percent of the time, but my family comes first. Most things can wait, and we are not involved in life-or-death situations. I generally check emails any time my daughter is sleeping.
Todd Oretsky, co-founder, Pipeline Brickell
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I always check my work email on the weekends. While I understand the value of taking time away, I’m not a good example of this practice. I like to be connected to the College at all times.
Eduardo Padrón, president, Miami Dade College
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I check email all weekend, even though sometimes I know I shouldn’t! Ultimately, it’s a two-way street for me as a working parent: Since I stay connected to my family and personal life during the workweek, I stay connected to my professional life during the weekend, too.
Joanna Schwartz, CEO and co-founder, EarlyShares
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I wish my smartphone would disappear on the weekends. Unfortunately, that does not happen. In order to have some downtime, I usually only check my email two or three times a day on the weekends.
Dave Seleski, president and CEO, Stonegate Bank
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Yes, I try especially to refrain on Sundays (the Sabbath); it is a personal, family and reclamation day.
Darryl K. Sharpton, president and CEO, The Sharpton Group
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I reserve patches of time during the weekend when I don't check email, but I generally try to catch up on Sunday evening before a Monday start. A break is good as there is no real need to be in constant contact, but a clean start to the week feels positive.
Gillian Thomas, president and CEO, Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
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I don't refrain from checking work email for a full day at any time, but I carve out hours where I'm “unplugged” and focused on the family and friends around me. Many facets of our business, from retail stores to textile production overseas, are functioning over what we know as a weekend. I love what I do and am thankful for the technology that enables all of us to be connected.
Alina Villasante, founder, Peace Love World clothing
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No, with one exception: when I’m spending time with my kids. I try to give them my undivided attention. Beyond that, I’d much rather stay on top of work emails than spend half of my Monday morning catching up. Access to principals is also an important part of my company’s philosophy.
John Wood, president, Amicon Construction
This story was originally published August 30, 2015 at 5:10 PM with the headline "CEOs try to balance email, personal time on weekends."