Boss texts me about work on days off -
Discussion
- am I being unreasonable in finding it increasingly tiresome? I am a supervisor and I will always answer an urgent call on a day off and come in to help if I need to.
(Including emergencies on night shifts).
My boss seemingly lives for the job and texts me continuously on days off, problem is it’s 99% minor queries that he could answer himself. The result is I never switch off and feel like I’ve got myself in a situation where I can’t ignore texts. I think the record was my first day of leave last week he was in touch by 7.35 in the morning (5 minutes after I would have started). I’m not sure if the best way to tackle it is speak to him directly or go ‘cold turkey’ and hope he gets the hint that I don’t jump when he sends a message.
What do the PH collective think?
(Including emergencies on night shifts).
My boss seemingly lives for the job and texts me continuously on days off, problem is it’s 99% minor queries that he could answer himself. The result is I never switch off and feel like I’ve got myself in a situation where I can’t ignore texts. I think the record was my first day of leave last week he was in touch by 7.35 in the morning (5 minutes after I would have started). I’m not sure if the best way to tackle it is speak to him directly or go ‘cold turkey’ and hope he gets the hint that I don’t jump when he sends a message.
What do the PH collective think?
foxbody-87 said:
It’s a work phone but I use it for personal use also (data only ie WhatsApp messages). I did have a personal phone but don’t use it and also my number got ‘leaked’ and I started getting work calls on it!
Easy to say without knowing the dynamic with your boss but there's over-keen v being an a
hole.First instinct with what you've said is have a polite word but perhaps also hold your hands up that if you leave a work phone on people rightly or wrongly may be tempted to try it.
So perhaps get a personal phone too?
We get on fine to be fair, although he can be a bit hard to judge at times. I think it’s just his way of doing things that he texts people a lot and whether they’re in or not doesn’t factor. I am the opposite in that if there is something he has missed or I need to know I would rather spend 5 minutes figuring it out than texting unless I absolutely have to, whereas his first reflex is to send a text immediately. On top of this every other week I am actually on-call so my non on-call week doesn’t feel much better. I am considering a cheapo phone for emergencies and either switching this off or checking it far less frequently.
foxbody-87 said:
We get on fine to be fair, although he can be a bit hard to judge at times. I think it’s just his way of doing things that he texts people a lot and whether they’re in or not doesn’t factor. I am the opposite in that if there is something he has missed or I need to know I would rather spend 5 minutes figuring it out than texting unless I absolutely have to, whereas his first reflex is to send a text immediately. On top of this every other week I am actually on-call so my non on-call week doesn’t feel much better. I am considering a cheapo phone for emergencies and either switching this off or checking it far less frequently.
What happens if you don't answer him?foxbody-87 said:
We get on fine to be fair, although he can be a bit hard to judge at times. I think it’s just his way of doing things that he texts people a lot and whether they’re in or not doesn’t factor. I am the opposite in that if there is something he has missed or I need to know I would rather spend 5 minutes figuring it out than texting unless I absolutely have to, whereas his first reflex is to send a text immediately. On top of this every other week I am actually on-call so my non on-call week doesn’t feel much better. I am considering a cheapo phone for emergencies and either switching this off or checking it far less frequently.
Seems entirely fair.I'm happy for people I trust to have my personal number as it avoids the need for a work phone but if they started to abuse it I think I'd be pretty quick to point that out.
Workaholics can be a bit weird so perhaps don't be surprised he he literally doesn't even realise he's doing it or see anything wrong with it.
I'd still split out work and personal but no harm in doing what 2SB suggests above "I'm here for emergencies but it is my day off..." and see how it goes.
If you just switch off (literally) and don't respond there's probably going to be a conversation at some point so try heading it off the easy way
Not to be a dick but are you Michael Gove or are you working in a Timber Merchants? Job role may play a part here
foxbody-87 said:
Mr Pointy said:
What happens if you don't answer him?
Well that’s the issue - I don’t think I have ever not answered!On the flip side if he’s off work and I’m in he’s still texting - think he just never switches off!
Once upon a time I was the only person who did what I did in the office.
A culture of being a superhero grew among some of the staff whereby some of them were never not working. Emails and messages all night and into early am. Working weekends and holidays etc.
I would get emails and messages when on holiday. To my work phone to start with. Then someone must have shared my personal number so I started getting work messages and follow up calls if I didn't reply on that too.
I asked nicely for them to stop. It wasn't just me it was bothering, some of the younger members of staff were not happy with it either.
It carried on. I warned them what I would do if they carried on. Which of course it did. So every time I got a message or phone call on a weekend or holiday that wasn't a genuine emergency I booked that whole day to whatever project the message was about, and added a day back to my holiday allowance. If it was a Sunday or Bank Holiday I booked it at double overtime.
It soon stopped once their projects were being hit financially.
A culture of being a superhero grew among some of the staff whereby some of them were never not working. Emails and messages all night and into early am. Working weekends and holidays etc.
I would get emails and messages when on holiday. To my work phone to start with. Then someone must have shared my personal number so I started getting work messages and follow up calls if I didn't reply on that too.
I asked nicely for them to stop. It wasn't just me it was bothering, some of the younger members of staff were not happy with it either.
It carried on. I warned them what I would do if they carried on. Which of course it did. So every time I got a message or phone call on a weekend or holiday that wasn't a genuine emergency I booked that whole day to whatever project the message was about, and added a day back to my holiday allowance. If it was a Sunday or Bank Holiday I booked it at double overtime.
It soon stopped once their projects were being hit financially.
You’re not helping yourself in:
A) not having a personal phone
B) responding to messages immediately
C) not setting your own boundaries
How could he possibly know you’re not happy to answer messages outside of work if you always do?
If you’re anywhere near a promotion I’d say it’s not time to rock the boat, but otherwise getting a personal phone and advising times the work phone will be off would be a start.
A) not having a personal phone
B) responding to messages immediately
C) not setting your own boundaries
How could he possibly know you’re not happy to answer messages outside of work if you always do?
If you’re anywhere near a promotion I’d say it’s not time to rock the boat, but otherwise getting a personal phone and advising times the work phone will be off would be a start.
This could be trickier than you think. Forget all the unemotional advice you’ve received so far. This boss is emotional. He's behaving in his preferred style, you trying to change that or forcing that change will be against his natural style. The relationship between you and your boss is likely to be more delicate than robust. If he's impulsive, impatient, needy and lacking in empathy then he could react very negatively to you not answering his calls/texts. If he thinks you’re no longer the direct report he needs in that role, things could get very tricky for you, especially if there’s somebody else just dying to be texted on days off. At interview, it’s important to try to find out how managers will treat you as you may end up not being compatible and……………..he’s the boss, with all the power. If your boss is a future long term employee of the business, not somebody who changes jobs regularly and if he’s viewed by above as competent, then you need to secretly move to another employer (whilst temporarily putting up with the unwanted communications) or learn to put up permanently with your current situation. I’m sure there’s plenty on here who will you to stick it to the boss but I wouldn’t do that as it is then out of your control. You have no idea what will happen next. As for myself, I was always happy to take calls and texts on holiday abroad or on days off as I wanted to know what was going on and to be involved. Thank God we are all different.
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