To expect my colleague to take a message when I'm on a personal call

[Catchuptv]

So I'm going through a lot at the moment and I have to admit have taken a few personal calls at work recently.

Am I being unreasonable to expect my collegues not to put calls through to me when I'm on my mobile? I got a right dirty look off one the other day and he decided to transfer it to me anyway.

or take the personal call, on your work phone, that way no calls can be put through to you.
personal calls are annoying at work.

As an employer, I'd be annoyed with you. If you need time off that's fine, take it. But if you're in work and then repeatedly taking personal calls so you aren't working then I'd be having words with you.

If you're off, we'd arrange for things to be coveted, messages to be taken or the work to be spread around. If you're there, none of those things are arranged so you need to do your job.

Are you at work mumsnetting now? or on a break?

I'm on sick leave today - and yes I am actually ill although I'm not excpecting you to believe me. I've got the cold from hell and can hardly speak.

why shouldnt i believe you op.?
chin up

I would always make calls on my mobile away from my desk. My manager knows what I have going on in my life currently and my colleagues vaguely know and are sympathetic but I still make private calls away from my desk. If a call comes through for me, my colleagues will make it a ring back.

is the colleague normally mean op?

I think there's quite some exaggeration on this thread. Employers need to provide a good work/life balance and if that means letting people take the odd personal call then surely that's not grounds for stoning as some of the posts above insinuate it should be.

Depending on what you do/where you work, it really shouldn't be a problem to take the odd call.

It never has been in any company I have ever worked at, thank god.

Depending on what you do/where you work, it really shouldn't be a problem to take the odd call.

Odd call maybe not. This doesn't sound like tge odd one and it isn't fair when it impacts on colleagues.

My work are fairly relaxed about us taking personal calls (within reason). I would be annoyed if you kept taking them at your desk though, it's disruptive for everyone. Your colleague was being passive aggressive, but it seems like they were dropping a pretty big hint.

@Eliza9917

The odd personal call isn't an issue, but this seems to be several calls over quite a few days. Not just an occasional occurence. The fact that her colleagues are noticing, and reacting to it with annoyed looks means it's happening way too often and actually interfering with the job.

@Holstenlane Maybe the colleague is a dick.

Even if it is several calls over several days, surely the conversations would only be a couple of minutes long at most. And that's no more disruptive than speaking on the phone to a customer/client.

I don't see the issue tbh but then thankfully I've never had to work with pissy colleagues who think its unfair that someone takes a few phone calls.

For all the colleague knows, the OP's mother could be in a hospice. He doesn't need to be told that and has no right to know it either. People should just mind their own business.

Swings and roundabouts.

People should just mind their own business.

Errr not when it is impacting them they don't.

I love an AIBU when the OP can see straight away that TABU and says they will take steps to address it. Doesn't happen often.

If you must take the call, move away from your desk to make it clear you're not available. Surely you don't want them to overhear your conversation anyway?

Just because your manager knows you need to take personal calls, doesn't mean you can't manage it as well as possible.

I have a colleague who takes a lot of calls in work time at his desk and it's bloody irritating. We just put calls through to him.

Am I being unreasonable to expect my collegues not to put calls through to me when I'm on my mobile? I got a right dirty look off one the other day and he decided to transfer it to me anyway.

Well done for taking the feedback here graciously OP. Thing is, you don't know what your colleagues might be going through either so they may well resent what they see as picking up your slack.

I think most people would expect you to end a personal call for a work call if you're at work sitting at your desk (unless you were obviously talking about something very urgent and important or they knew of particular circumstances e.g. a bereavement).

OP if the personal call is for medical reasons, school/nursery/childminder or a family member with an urgent matter then work colleagues don't get upset with the call. However if like someone I worked with it was their wife calling yet again because the daughter wouldn't eat something unless her father talked to her, then yes work collegues get fed up.

I do all personal calls during a break - I would never expect a colleague to answer a work call and take a message if I was on a personal call unless this was pre-agreed with my manager. Even so it's pretty unreasonable - you are either able to work or not.

@BlueJava doctors and other medical staff call when they can, which is unlikely to coincide with someone's break times. If you don't answer then you miss getting an appointment or important test results.