Reasonable to ignore email from boss?

Has your boss some reason to be anxious about this joint meeting and the joint working?

I don’t think having personal email addresses on work files is that big a deal, and I’d be more conciliatory than some and reply. Done that. Meeting on the…. Talk more when I’m back in the office.

But maybe there are other tensions. If so, not replying won’t improve anything.

I think you should reply politely this time. But then look at your email system and put it in an automatic reply, 'I'm on holiday between ..., and will be answering my emails from.... '

I had put an out of office response on my work email. So either my boss emailed my personal email after getting the response from my work email saying I was on annual leave, or she emailed my personal email in error. As my personal email is in my maiden name, I think it’s highly unlikely that it is a simple mistake.

You are NOT being unreasonable! When I was still working I could access work emails at home but only did so for my own benefit or if I knew I'd wasted time during the working day and felt I needed to catch up. When I got a smart phone I was asked to add access to my work email to it but I refused. I had access on my laptop at home but had to initiate it myself. I told them I didn't wish to be disturbed on my phone in my own time. My job was low paid and fixed hours so I didn't see they had any right to contact me out of hours. In an emergency they could phone me. As retirement approached we were constantly being given additional duties which meant I often didn't get chance to access my email in work as I had no time out of the classroom or doing other essential duties. One day I told my boss I hadn't been able to get on my email for 3 days. She said "But there might be something imortant" My response was "If it's important speak to me directly or give me time in the working day to access my email" If I wanted to know something I'd access email in my oown time but not if they wanted to tell me something that didn't intetest me. It was a relief to retire! After retirement I contacted the school governors to point out what was happening and warn that experienced staff were likely to leave if nothing changed. I think things did improve after that for a while though I understand some issues remain and many people I knew have left the school.

Reply, I will attend to it when I get back of holiday.

That would be really cringy, unprofessional and passive -aggressive. Honesty and straightforwardness are the best and most adult way of dealing with things.

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24+ hours later and still showing.
So much for reporting it!
However, I've also just reported it, as I'm sure many others have.
Let's see if it's still here tomorrow.
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Doodledog

I think it is unreasonable to email staff using their personal addresses. I used to work quite flexibly and would send emails late at night (to work addresses) but with no expectation that there would be any response out of office hours. It just suited me to send them when I was working in the evening, which I often did so that I could do other things if I had no appointments during the day.

I wouldn't acknowledge the email at all from a personal address. I would reply when I got back to work (using my work email) saying something on the lines of:

Dear Boss
I noticed an email from you on my personal address during my annual leave, and forwarded it to my work address to deal with it on my return.

Then say what you want to about the meeting.

It would be better if you used my work address for work-related matters, as I don't always check email on holiday and it could get lost when I clear out the numerous messages I get every day, and it was only by chance that I spotted this one.

Also, my husband/children/cleaner/dog has access to my private account, and I can't guarantee that messages to this address will remain GDPR compliant.
Best wishes
Manna66

Ooh, I like this. Firm but professional, covering everything.

I can see why your boss shoukd have your personl enail address in case of an emergency. But not for work matters.

What he is doing at the moment almost amounts to harrassment

Get some legal advice Chuck!

On Mumsnet, he’d be labelled a CF….

I should add, Doodledog’s post is the perfect response.

Maelil

That would be really cringy, unprofessional and passive -aggressive. Honesty and straightforwardness are the best and most adult way of dealing with things.

Are you replying to me or to someone else? Why is not replying ‘cringy, unprofessional and passive aggressive?’ Bit confused (doesn’t take much these days) 😁

I'm very easily confused, people just have to live with it as far as I'm concerned!

If it were me, I will just block her email address.

She can still send an email to your personal email address but it will go straight to the Spam /Junk mail folder.

When you are on holiday, the last thing you want to see is an email from your boss about work.

If she ask, just say 'I never look at my emails whilst on holiday'.

Its easy enough to set up an OOO reply saying you are "away from the computer" and send it manually. When I am on vacation I often do this with customers who try to contact me on my personal email rather than via the platforms I sell on,

I also have a "bounce back" message saying something like "mailbox full" or "mailbox unavailable" for people I dont wish to interact with.

The email was sent in May 2025 so the issue must be resolved by now. Interesting to know the outcome, though.

You can easily set up an "out of office" message and send it manually. Some emails take time to come through so they are unlikely to know. Even if they do its a strong hint that you dont accept work messages when on leave.

If you don't want to change your email address (understandably), you could always block your boss on your personal one.

Meanwhile, I would reply with a short "I'm on leave; will deal with this when I return." Then they will know (hopefully) why you've blocked them.

Then enjoy the rest of your leave!

How crucial is it? It would have to be crucial to the business from which you both earn your livings to interfere with your vacation like this.

Doodledog's advice sounds to me to be absolutely right!

Why is the post that was Reported back in MAY still there?