Context: school, I'm not in Europe or the USA. This is my 3rd year working here. This is the manager's 2nd year.
TLDR: manager sent emails with Monday deadlines on Sunday at 8pm. Asked her to stop. She wouldn't. Brought the issue to Manager's manager. Now he is sending us emails during weekends.
I work in a school where management does everything last minute (e.g. tell us what ages and subjects we are teaching 3 days before students come to school) but they expect us to meet their incredibly unreasonable expectations (have all year plans and lesson plans for 5 different syllabus in 5 days, while conducting classes at the same time, + additional team work/meetings, etc)
All the teachers are frustrated and angry but nobody says anything.
Also for context: I do not have a good relationship with my manager because I usually give my opinion during meetings and I ask “too many questions.” Even though last year we had a lot of problems between the teachers and management, I was the only one talking about those issues during meetings.
This year I tried to start anew and decided that it is not my responsibility to speak for everyone and that if someone else doesn't like something, they should say something.
This is where I need advice:
Manager communicates the deadlines and work to do during the weekends. Last Sunday, she sent a message on Sunday at 8pm about the things we had to get done for the upcoming week (some of them had to be done before 9am on Monday!!!). This is not the first time we get emails during our time off (sometimes at 11pm!!), and since I'm so frustrated I drafted an email to my Manager's manager (the school director) about it and other issues with the school.
A colleague convinced me that maybe it would be better if I tell this to my manager in person and, if she brushes it off, to send the email.
After the meeting on Monday I asked the manager to please stop sending emails during the weekend. She replied “no because a lot of people work during the weekend.” I said that people need to rest and that it give us anxiety and we shouldn't be working during the weekend. She replied: “well, but I work during the weekend.”
The before mentioned colleague was there during the conversation, and said that the emails during the weekend need to stop. Only then the manager said “okay”.
I sent the email I drafted to the school director that morning.
Now the school director is sending emails during the weekend. And after spending my Saturday morning grading papers…. I don't need that right now.
Other than ignoring the messages, what could I do in this case?