Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Not to want to dial into an office meeting while I am on leave?

20 replies

MrsSchadenfreude · 17/09/2012 08:07

My "lovely" boss thinks I should. The meeting is at 1400, so half way through MY DAY OFF and will interfere with my plans.

I want to tell him to go fuck himself that he is being unreasonable, and that leave is leave - a day off work. I see no benefit of sitting there listening to him droning on about his "priorities for the week" (not least because he has already emailed them to everyone). The meeting will also take at least an hour. So I am going to keep my phone switched off and remain out of contact. He will moan tomorrow that they kept trying to call me, and the point of me having a mobile phone is so that they can contact me 24/7. I disagree.

OP posts:
Selky · 17/09/2012 08:11

No you shouldn't have to "virtually" attend a meeting when you are on leave.

It is a work phone?

IloveJudgeJudy · 17/09/2012 08:11

From your title I thought you were on a two-week holiday so I was going to say that it would be fine, but if it's a one-day leave then, no, you should not have to dial into an office meeting. E-mail reports of the meeting sent to you should be fine. Do keep your phone off. I disagree that you should be contactable 24/7 just because you have one. DH once worked for a company that was moving towards 24-hour cover and he could be called at any time, day or night, for no more money. That made him horrible for the one and only time in his life.

fridayfreedom · 17/09/2012 08:11

unless the meeting is essential then no, you shouldn't have to dial in.
If it is essential then why didn't he ask if you could alter your leave or better still have the meeting when you are not on leave.
No, leave is leave!!

StormGlass · 17/09/2012 08:12

YANBU.

You're going to be on a days holiday. It's not as if you're going to be working from home or out of the office on some sort of business trip or conference.

If it was so essential that you be at the meeting, why let you take this particular day off as leave anyway? Not sure what your holiday policy is like, but my boss can refuse leave requests if they clash with something very important at work.

beachyhead · 17/09/2012 08:12

YANBU....

I never dial in on a day off, and I let my work phone run out, until I carefully recharge it on Sunday night! I work Monday to Wednesday and that's what I'm paid for. Any extra is at my choice! Or by polite negotiation Grin

I have a lovely boss though!

OctopusPie · 17/09/2012 08:14

YANBU. Can't see how they can force you to dial in. Do you have any background recordings of theme parks/hairdressers etc you can dial in and just leave playing without muting your line? Or if you attended could you make it clear to the rest of your team that no one will be able to go on leave from now on without calling into the weekly team meeting as normal because of the "new rule" and let them moan at him too. Does he make everyone do this or is he particularly against you having uninterrupted leave?

glenthebattleostrich · 17/09/2012 08:16

YADNBU, unless it is an emergency he should not be contacting you and he certainly should not be expecting you to call into a team meeting.

My ex-boss tried the I need to be able to contact you 24/7 thing. He was told in no uncertain terms that he paid me from 8:30 - 5:30 and they were the hours he could contact me at any time during those hours or he could pay me to be on call. This was after he called me on a Sunday evening at 9pm to discuss something about his diary the next afternoon which I could do nothing about until the next morning then had the nerve to complain I sounded like I'd been drinking. I had but IT WAS SUNDAY FUCKING EVENING AND I WAS NOT AT WORK. Guess why he's my ex-boss!!

JarethTheGoblinKing · 17/09/2012 08:16

YANBU.. unless its part of your contract that you're contactable

OTheHugeManatee · 17/09/2012 08:17

How essential are you? How much are you paid? If the answer is 'not very, not much' then YANBU, as you should be able to switch of when not there. But if it's a high-pressure, highly-paid job and you are essential to the team then YABU.

FrankelSaysRelax · 17/09/2012 08:19

Bill him for overtime, that should stop any future occurrences Wink

meditrina · 17/09/2012 08:23

Unless the issue is exceptional, urgent and important (and this doesn't sound like any of them), or if it is very quick (eg 'where's the XYZ') then it is VU to disturb leave.

Bluegingham · 17/09/2012 08:49

YANBU. And you need to nip this nonsense in the bud. On leave means on leave, regardless of the level of seniority.

StormGlass · 17/09/2012 09:00

I don't see how seniority means you can't have uninterrupted leave. Even the prime minister gets to go on holiday occasionally.

Obviously, a very senior person might have their leave interrupted if something very important happened unexpectedly, but the OP's scenario sounds like a routine, normal team briefing, with vital points being e-mailed to everyone in advance anyway. I can't imagine even a senior person being expected to interrupt leave for that.

BIWI · 17/09/2012 09:05

YANBU. Usually, IMVHO, the 'need' for this reflects someone else's poor time management. It's also a bit of a power trip on his behalf, isn't it? Your time is less important than his.

I would politely, and (seemingly sadly) decline the opportunity to take part, tell him you're doing something that can't be interrupted - but how about the meeting takes place on x day?

And then make sure you turn your phone off on the day itself.

Original poster
MrsSchadenfreude · 17/09/2012 10:46

Oh dear the battery on my phone seems to be flat... what a pity. Grin I have just been to have my hair cut and highlighted, and will be off shopping later.

It is absolutely not essential that I am at the meeting - my deputy can brief on our team's issues. And it is not an important meeting at all. Ironically, I have been given this extra day's leave because I worked mad hours (for an emergency) last weekend, and the diktat from on high was that this leave should be taken asap. So I think I am safe not dialling in.

BIWI - you are spot on re the power trip. There is a raft of other issues (mostly minor, but which mount up, such as being the only senior manager not "allowed" a corporate credit card - I have to use my own and claim back) which are brewing as well.

OP posts:
BIWI · 17/09/2012 10:47

Oh dear Sad that doesn't sound good.

And what a shame your battery has run down. Tsk tsk. Wink

Numberlock · 17/09/2012 10:53

I agree that you shouldn't be available for the call but in order to remain professional, I would send him an email outlining the arrangements you have made for your deputy to cover.

Then switch your phone off.

Original poster
MrsSchadenfreude · 17/09/2012 11:01

Oh yes, Numberlock... that's another bugbear of mine. I'm the only senior manager who is required to provide "a detailed plan of who is going to be covering" when I go on leave. Even for just one day. So that was done on Friday (which is one of the reasons I didn't leave the office until 8.00...)

OP posts:
Startailoforangeandgold · 17/09/2012 11:09

YANBU
DH always answers his phone on leave, he "Trouble shots" and is paid accordingly, but he wouldn't be expected to join in routine meetings when on leave.

Numberlock · 17/09/2012 11:17

All good then, MrsS. (Love the user name, by the way!)

Sounds like this could be the start of you getting tough(er) - making sure you take your time in lieu straight away, not being at their beck and call...

Numberlock likes this! Smile

New posts on this thread. Refresh page