How would you handle someone complaining about you taking breaks

[footballcrazy11]

In a work meeting yesterday and one of the managers (not my manager) complained that I am uncontactable during my scheduled breaks. This is not true as I divert my calls to my mobile but even so surely this is my own time!
I was caught on the back foot but said well what does everybody else do and the response was no one else really takes their breaks they eat etc at their desk. (not true)
I was raging!
I want to take it up with my boss today (who was present) but not sure how to approach it?

If you say that you are contactable during your break then this manager is complaining about something which isn’t happening so you should point out that his concerns are unfounded.

OP - when you speak to your boss, just say "I think there's been a misunderstanding, I am contactable, I divert the landline to my mobile so just call the landline and I can answer"

Of course you don't need to be contactable on your breaks if you don't want to be, but since you are and have made arrangements anyway, and in sales I get that you don't want to miss your own customer, just tell him that. If it happens again, go up the line until you find a manager to whom both these line managers report so that person can speak to them both together.

SpringHen, surely that's easily resolved by asking him to make sure someone knows where he is and that he briefs them about anything unresolved?

Well yeah you would think so wouldnt you.

But despite us pointedly asking "i what do we need to cover/know while youre gone" when we saw him making moves to go on break, the answer was usually "its all fine theres nothing to do" then shit hits the fan 5 mins after hes left and the only one with the info to fix it is him!

The issue was that BEFORE going on break he didnt give anyone who was going to end up covering for him a heads up on anything they might have to field for him while he's gone. We have had some very justifiably angry service users who felt fobbed off etc because nobody else had a clue of where he was at with anything.

Couldn't you just take a message and get him to call back?

Most people make sure their colleagues know what needs to be covered instead of just pissing off

Some jobs cant be pausdd and need to be covered by someone else while you're on break

Fair enough, those shelves won't stack themselves I suppose.

It's odd that they think you are uncontactable when you have your calls diverted.

I would consider it a bit unusual if a colleague was always totally uncontactable during their breaks in case there was an emergency and we needed them, but it doesn't sound like that's the issue here. If they are just trying to subtly imply that you shouldn't be taking your breaks then I think that is very unreasonable as you are entitled to them.

Have there been specific incidences where they have tried to contact you and not been able to? If so, you could try and address the particular problem which led to that. But if it's just a general gripe because they want you to be chained to your desk all day, they can get stuffed.

And its caused problems as noone knew what the fuck was going on with his work AND he wasnt around to ask!

So? Surely you'd just take a message or say that he was on his lunch and would be available in an hour?

Snuff I think you have hit the nail on the head. I think he resents me taking my breaks and was having a go because of that. My job is fast paced and I need a breather so I am not giving them up