DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a client who has no boundaries. She regularly calls me late in the evening and on weekends. I have made the mistake of answering; I work freelance and do want to be available to my clients, but she takes it too far. It’s almost never urgent when she calls. I think she’s catching up on work and checking off boxes when she gets to something she thinks she needs to address with me.
Is it OK to let her calls go to voicemail when they come during my off hours? I don’t want to lose my client, but this random calling is getting ridiculous. -- After-Hours Calls
DEAR AFTER-HOURS CALLS: You have every right to allow this client’s calls go to voicemail when she calls you at random hours of the day. That doesn’t mean that you are an inattentive worker; it can simply mean that you are otherwise occupied. It is smart to listen to her messages in a timely manner so that you can discern whether the matter at hand requires an immediate response. If it does, call her back. If it is not so urgent, you can talk to her about the subject the next time you have a call, or you can email her with whatever resolution the call is requesting.
You have control over yourself. Don’t ever forget that.