Page 6 | Boss told me to get off my personal phone in a meeting

Onetwobuckeroo · 2025-10-02T18:51:25+00:00

I work in a corporate role. I do my job, deliver and go above and beyond. In a team meeting today, a message appeared on my phone from my kids school. I was still listening to the conversation but opened the message instinctively. Suddenly my boss snaps my name to get my attention, then proceeds to ask whether I’m in the meeting or on the phone?! I then instantly put my phone down, confused at their outburst but did say, it was to do with my children. (They don’t have kids). I was really taken a back but I did pull my boss up on it. I said ok, I was on my phone but everyone picks up / types / gets distracted with technology, albeit emails on laptops, work phones, personal phones during lengthy meetings. Boss said yes but now I’ve been called out on it, it should remind others how to conduct themselves in a meeting. AIBU - You’re in the wrong. Accept it, you got caught, when in the boss’s eyes you weren’t concentrating YANBU - Boss was out of order. You’re not a child.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 02/10/2025 22:49

Boss is a dick and was power-tripping. I'd start looking for another job. OP may be a target.

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:49

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:48

All this thread has taught me is that I’m SO thankful to be in a well paid and interesting job, where I’m also treated like a responsible intelligent adult who can spend 10 seconds checking a message and it not be detrimental to my work output!

And I am talking about office jobs, not surgeons etc before anyone says, ‘what about, what about.’

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Because you seem to only think office jobs are valid

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:48

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I'm not angry?

I made a post which didn't tag anyone but referred to a PP and you have continually mocked me now about that comment and chosen to ignore the context

You're quite rude

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:48

insomniac1 · 02/10/2025 22:27

Oh gosh I’m so surprised at the responses here. It’s v normal to quickly check a message in a meeting and I would be fuming if my boss ‘told me off’ in a meeting. We are all adults and you were only checking as it was important.

All this thread has taught me is that I’m SO thankful to be in a well paid and interesting job, where I’m also treated like a responsible intelligent adult who can spend 10 seconds checking a message and it not be detrimental to my work output!

And I am talking about office jobs, not surgeons etc before anyone says, ‘what about, what about.’

SnobblyBobbly · 02/10/2025 22:47

YOU pulled your boss up? Come
on, you must know that’s rude.

BatchCookBabe · 02/10/2025 22:38

The phrase 'bee in your bonnet' springs to mind right now.

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:38

DancingNotDrowning · 02/10/2025 22:36

Discussions regarding those who can’t use their phones are irrelevant.

if you’re a surgeon who pauses mid incision to answer a text you deserve to be fired never mind reprimanded.

but OP is not a surgeon or in any other job where checking your phone is for myriad good reasons prohibited.

Exactly. It’s such a weird counter argument….here’s a hypothetical situation where people can’t use their phones….lack of critical thinking involved!

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:38

DancingNotDrowning · 02/10/2025 22:36

Discussions regarding those who can’t use their phones are irrelevant.

if you’re a surgeon who pauses mid incision to answer a text you deserve to be fired never mind reprimanded.

but OP is not a surgeon or in any other job where checking your phone is for myriad good reasons prohibited.

But her boss has said he doesn't want people on their phone during meetings (which is fair, because it's rude and distracting) so OP has a reason she shouldn't...

SnowFrogJelly · 02/10/2025 22:37

YABU

ruethewhirl · 02/10/2025 22:37

Greenmouldycheese · 02/10/2025 21:06

Ignoring the school who are messaging or calling about your child is shit parenting. Its the school, not a friend or some random person. Messaging and calls from them shoukd always be answered.

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And I suppose that sort of mindset has nothing to do with the fact that women are still, in 2025, routinely discriminated against in the workplace because 'her mind will be on her kids instead of her job'?

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:36

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DancingNotDrowning · 02/10/2025 22:36

Discussions regarding those who can’t use their phones are irrelevant.

if you’re a surgeon who pauses mid incision to answer a text you deserve to be fired never mind reprimanded.

but OP is not a surgeon or in any other job where checking your phone is for myriad good reasons prohibited.

Niallig32839 · 02/10/2025 22:36

I think it’s one of those situations where you have to take it in the chin, apologise for checking while in a meeting and mention it was the school and move on. Probably not ideal to pull up your boss when technically you’re in the wrong although something so many of us do. Your boss might have been proving a point to everyone and making a stance that they want less use of personal phones in the office and it’s the same for everyone regardless of title, length of service etc and you have been the one to be made an example of

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:35

Oh and I've worked several office jobs...

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:34

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:33

No, that’s not at all helpful. In any way!!!!

Because op isn’t any of those.

She’s a person in an office job.

If you have no experience of that, and you don’t understand what that entails, then you don’t need to vociferously keep posting arguing against a brief check of a school message in a bog standard meeting room!

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Still completely missing the point

A PREVIOUS POSTER said people who didn't check their phone constantly were shit parents.

That was what I was replying to

Is it clear enough yet?

HollieBolly · 02/10/2025 22:33

I think this behaviour is common from bosses. I've seen and learned from it and treat my team as equal

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:33

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:26

Doctors. Nurses. Pilots. Prison officers. Police Officers (they can be tracked by personal phones). Bus drivers.

None of those are us. But all are jobs where they can't be surgically attached to their phone

Is that better?

Or do they not count because they aren't proffer enough for you as they aren't office based?

Besides you spectacularly missing the point of course

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No, that’s not at all helpful. In any way!!!!

Because op isn’t any of those.

She’s a person in an office job.

If you have no experience of that, and you don’t understand what that entails, then you don’t need to vociferously keep posting arguing against a brief check of a school message in a bog standard meeting room!

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:32

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:27

I’m not talking about your specific job. But yes, when ‘people’ post incessantly, they often do disclose their line of work/ whether they work or not etc

There are people in jobs who literally ‘can’t’ Check their phones (surgeons etc) but also unfortunately a lot of people in minimum wage / highly monitored jobs (Tesco, nursery workers etc) that can’t either…. and they resent those in decent jobs who are treated like adults. You need to earn that I guess

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Oh and which job have you decided I'm in that's not professional then?

Be careful though, because it looks like MN didn't approve of you calling people out like that before...

insomniac1 · 02/10/2025 22:27

Oh gosh I’m so surprised at the responses here. It’s v normal to quickly check a message in a meeting and I would be fuming if my boss ‘told me off’ in a meeting. We are all adults and you were only checking as it was important.

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:27

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:20

What the duck do you even mean by that?

You can tell people's job by their posts?

Or that because we don't work in offices then we aren't professional??

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I’m not talking about your specific job. But yes, when ‘people’ post incessantly, they often do disclose their line of work/ whether they work or not etc

There are people in jobs who literally ‘can’t’ Check their phones (surgeons etc) but also unfortunately a lot of people in minimum wage / highly monitored jobs (Tesco, nursery workers etc) that can’t either…. and they resent those in decent jobs who are treated like adults. You need to earn that I guess

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 02/10/2025 22:26

Shakemesexy · 02/10/2025 22:23

That’s made me really giggle

me: can some people not see beyond their own specific situation?

Briefencountersofthethirdkind: but, my mum, mum AND me….

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Doctors. Nurses. Pilots. Prison officers. Police Officers (they can be tracked by personal phones). Bus drivers.

None of those are us. But all are jobs where they can't be surgically attached to their phone

Is that better?

Or do they not count because they aren't proffer enough for you as they aren't office based?

Besides you spectacularly missing the point of course

coxesorangepippin · 02/10/2025 22:24

Boss was right

the5thgoldengirl · 02/10/2025 22:24

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Biskieboo · 02/10/2025 22:23

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Just wondering what sort of job counts as good enough for somebody's opinion of YABU to be valid here? I'm a senior commercial lawyer of almost 20 years standing and I don't think the OP has anything to complain about, but maybe one day I'll get a decent job and think differently.

BatchCookBabe · 02/10/2025 22:23

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I'm embarrassed for you. 😖