I used to agree with above comment saying the person receiving the alerts is responsible for managing them. But you can’t control other people. Scheduling messages at least gives you some control over how alerts are sent, which can help improve the way they are managed. It’s becoming standard in other apps, e.g. Gmail and Slack, as WFH and distributed teams become more common.
If I’m working on a Saturday, for example, these are my top concerns as the sender:
- Messages outside working hours get lost more easily. By Monday, weekend alerts can be pushed to the bottom of the list.
- I’m lucky to work with a high performance team. They know they don’t have to answer messages on the weekend, but many of them will. That’s 100% their choice but I like to think I can help protect their time and mental wellbeing by not sending alerts on a Saturday to begin with.
- If you only send emergency-level alerts after hours, you increase the chances emergencies will be recognized and dealt with. When people are used to getting low-priority alerts at all hours, it’s harder to recognize when something actually needs to be addressed.
- The weekend is my personal time too. If I choose to catch up on work, I don’t necessarily want my colleagues thinking I’m online, working, and available for just anything.