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Original poster

Working from home using own mobile

44 replies

ouch321 · 26/04/2020 22:14

I am working from home due to corona virus. Those who are doing the same, how are you dealing with having to use your own phone? I don't have a work phone.

I've just been added to a WhatsApp group by my boss and had 11 msgs in the space of 10 minutes just now.

I'm kind quite annoyed as I dont want my personal number used like this and now shared with colleagues I don't really know. There is no reason for them not to use email which I can look at in working hours.

OP posts:
Animum2 · 26/04/2020 22:20

Our work set us up with an app which allowed our office phones to be diverted to mobiles

HilaryBriss · 26/04/2020 23:31

Same here, I've been added to a work whatsapp group and my office phone has been diverted to my mobile. I will take incoming calls but as they are not paying towards my bill, I am certainly not making any outbound calls on it! Luckily I don't usually need to and anyone that leaves a voicemail asking me to call them back, I will email them.

Likethebattle · 26/04/2020 23:37

We are using jabber which diverts our office number to jabber that we then pick up and have a headset to use with the computer.

PhoneLock · 26/04/2020 23:39

As above. My office desk phone is set to divert to my mobile.

MercianQueen · 26/04/2020 23:54

Can you off-set the cost against what you're saving on transport or commuting?

rottiemum88 · 26/04/2020 23:58

Can you off-set the cost against what you're saving on transport or commuting?

Not really relevant, an employer can't expect you to do this. Nor should your number have been shared with colleagues without your consent; did anyone seek your consent before doing this?

Littleshortcake · 26/04/2020 23:59

I am in the same boat. I am considering using an old phone and new SIM card. It's really impacts my quality of life this constant social media and being contactable 24/7. Not in a good way.

Aquastorm · 27/04/2020 00:44

This happened with me. I used the excuse of Whatsapp being really slow/glitchy and that I would prefer to use Slack or Skype

Animum2 · 27/04/2020 06:34

Also the app allows us to call clients if we need to so no cost to me as it calls outside as if I was actually in the office

hauntedvagina · 27/04/2020 06:59

Remove yourself from the group?

Jojo19834 · 27/04/2020 07:03

Mute the group, that’s what I did. No idea now and doesn’t disturb my out of hours time

Dobbyhasnomaster · 27/04/2020 07:05

Surely your employer is doing their best after mobilising their staff to work remotely in a short space of time so you didn’t lose your job due to the business going under? There has to be some give and take in these circumstances, I understand not wanting to give your number to clients but I do think you are unreasonable to expect your colleagues not to be able to contact you over the phone for this period.

SimonJT · 27/04/2020 07:11

Our company did this, they then realised it wasn’t GDPR compliant. The most stupid thing is that we all have work mobiles...

Original poster
ouch321 · 27/04/2020 07:23

Dobby

For calls I understand during this unusual circumstance but WhatsApp groups are not necessary when we we have email/Teams etc and as it's my own phone I want to be able to have it switched on without being expected to read and respond to such texts at 10.15pm.

OP posts:
SnugglySnerd · 27/04/2020 07:28

I'm a teacher. Nobody at our school has a phone or laptop provided by work and I would imagine this is the case in most state schools. It has been assumed that we can all work from home easily and we have been expected to do so. I have been added to several different WhatsApp groups and had to download various apps and things to my phone and laptop. It's a massive assumption that everyone can do this/has a new enough laptop to deal with this. Until dh started his new job last year we only had one laptop between us so I don't know how we would have coped if this had happened when he was still in his old job.

SnugglySnerd · 27/04/2020 07:31

Sorry I meant to say that school have set quite strict rules about when we should send emails, WhatsApp messages etc. I.e. in our normal work hours. This is sensible to protect us from being bombarded around the clock but I am doing a lot of my work in the evenings as I have very young children at home so it's not very helpful for me, I have to send emails with a delay and wait until the next day to get a response.

middleager · 27/04/2020 07:38

Yes, my DH. On his days off at Easter his phone was ringing with work calls . He had to put out of office on, but as he gets so many calls, we couldn't relax. He had to leave it on for his parents.

He muted Whatsapp group of an evening but it's on in the day. He often ignores it and then misses messages from others.

There's no switch off.

He works for a massive company and I think they need to invest in mobiles for employees.

middleager · 27/04/2020 07:38

As well as laptops.

SoloMummy · 27/04/2020 07:47

2 separate issues.

Being added and not asked to agree about your number breaks gdpr.
You could put a complaint in. You could report to your boss. Unlikely to be positive however for you moving forward. So I'd suck that up and mute the group outside of working hours. Just don't respond. You could even put your name message to say, my working hours are 9 to 5.

If anyone is requested or required to use their own personal phone,make sure the request is written as then you're legally entitled to reimbursement. However it would be sensible to clarify how this will be calculated and agreed beforehand. If told no to expenses, then don't use it. Stick solely to online facilities.

rookiemere · 27/04/2020 07:51

What is the impact if you mute it outside of working hours ?
I find for my mental health it's incredibly important to separate work and home time, something like this would put me in a bad space very quickly.

If the job actually requires non standard hours then there should be a paid rota for this. Expecting people to use whatsapp is sloppy and unprofessional.

Helloyouthere · 27/04/2020 08:03

Hi, I'm having to do the same set up. Have been given a laptop and calls to office landline are diverted via a platform to my personal mobile.

We have a whattsapp group which we use to ask questions etc during the working hours but sometimes people do add stuff at the weekends, evenings. At first I did feel a bit overwhelmed by it. I now make sure that I am only on my laptop during working hours, I don't do any work of a evening and although I may quickly read messages on the WhatsApp group out of hours I don't reply. I know it sounds nasty but I had to say to myself these are work colleagues, not mates.

I don't mind them seeing my mobile number, we are all in the same boat.

Mintjulia · 27/04/2020 08:05

We have all been provided with a device called a RAT. It plugs into home broadband and then my office phone plugs into the RAT. It means my work phone rings at home on the normal work number. I can transfer a call from my extension (in my kitchen) to my colleague’s work extension ( in her kitchen).

Very clever 😊

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 27/04/2020 08:09

Just mute any work Whatsapps and only unmute then during working hours.

Ginfordinner · 27/04/2020 08:12

If you don't have to make or receive any phone calls why can't you just use Teams?

DeathByBoredom · 27/04/2020 08:14

Weird that he isn't just using teams. You can use that for calls as well.

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