Updated September 2026: in 2018 I wrote about rushing my work to avoid a weekend, only to receive 8:30am calls for Saturday and Sunday where I spoke for a few minutes, followed by three hours of changes. I have rewritten it into advice on making weekend bid calls efficient.
The account team had asked for weekend support, so I finished my work faster than usual, hoping to avoid it. On Friday evening I sent the updated deck to the delivery expert for review and received invitations for calls at 8:30am on both Saturday and Sunday. I dislike weekend work, and early calls even more, but I had no choice. On Saturday I spoke for a few minutes and the call ended with the account team saying they would contact me if needed. An hour later the delivery expert called, and I spent three hours making the changes.
Why hold early weekend calls?
To align teams across time zones, and to leave the rest of the day for work. The trouble is that most people on the call have only a small part to play.
How can weekend calls be made shorter?
- Share the agenda the night before: with times for each team.
- Invite only people with open items: others can get a written summary.
- Decide, do not discuss: save long discussions for working days.
- Agree the next check-in: so people are not waiting by the phone.
How do you handle change requests over a weekend?
Ask for all comments in one list, agree a time to return the changes, and send the revised deck with a short note of what changed. Batching saves hours.
Should you get time off for weekend work?
Many companies allow a compensatory day for approved weekend work. Record the hours and ask for it promptly; it is easier to approve while the bid is fresh in everyone's mind.
What would I tell my 2018 self?
Finishing early does not cancel a weekend request. Agreeing the weekend plan on Friday does.
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