My boss slacks me all the time after work hours and then doesn't respond

Ohhh I’ve been there. That awful limbo when your boss Slacks you after hours and then just… disappears into the abyss. Meanwhile, you’re sitting there with your evening hijacked, wondering if you're supposed to do something, wait for a follow-up, or sell your soul to Slack and never log off again. 😅

You’re not alone—and you’re definitely not overreacting. Anxiety from unclear expectations is real.

A few things I’ve tried that helped (without making me look like I’m not a “team player”):

Play the “Just Want to Clarify” Card

I once messaged:

“Hey! Just wanted to check—when you send messages after hours, is that something I should jump on right away, or can it wait until the next morning? Just want to make sure I’m responding how you'd like.”

Framed as helpful. Zero confrontation. Gave them a chance to say, “Oh no! It can wait!” (which they did).

Schedule Replies for the Morning

This saved my sanity. I’ll write a reply, but schedule it to send first thing in the AM. That way, I’m “on it” without actually being on at 9:30 pm with one eye twitching.

Add Light Humor

If you have that kind of rapport:

“Slack at 8pm? Danger zone! I start turning into a pumpkin around then, but I’ll tackle this first thing in the morning.”

You’re showing you care, but you’re also human.

Don’t Assume the Worst

Some managers are just brain-dumping and don’t expect an immediate response—they forget that Slack makes it feel urgent. Clarifying can actually make things better for both of you.

Bottom line: Setting kind boundaries isn’t the same as being uncommitted. And trust me, no one does their best work while spiraling in Slack purgatory.

You got this 💪

My manager always messages me on Teams right as I’m logging off for the day. I used to feel pressured to reply right away, but I started just saying, ‘Got it—will handle tomorrow morning.’ Funny thing is, they never seem to care. They probably don’t even realize how it affects me. Now I just leave it till the next day and feel way more relaxed.

that’s super frustrating. sometimes bosses just forget that employees have lives. Try muting them after work hours and following up in the morning

Honestly, this might be a good opportunity to gently set a boundary. Something like, "I’ll make sure to review it first thing tomorrow morning'

Happens to me too. I mute notifications after work so I don’t feel stuck waiting all evening. If it’s urgent, they’ll follow up.