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AIBU?

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Original poster

To say my workplace should not call me of an evening?

43 replies

PinkGlitter123 · 27/06/2019 07:38

My workplace stays open till 11PM everyday but I finish in this particular job at 1PM. Lately I find I am getting calls at 7PM or after which make me feel panicky as they are suggestive of soon to be unemployment. Voicemails asking me to call them back as they want to discuss falling numbers and the like.
There is nothing in my contract about this and I am on a set hourly wage not a yearly salary.

OP posts:
JuniperBeer · 27/06/2019 07:41

Do you ignore them?

What do they say about it when you go into work? Speak to you line manager. Say that you’re more than happy to discuss performance and numbers during the day but would she mind not ringing you outside of work unless it’s an emergency please.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 27/06/2019 07:43

Is it a specific perspn who calls? Are you managerial and need to be contactable?

Why are they even using your personal number for this? Surely that should be held in your HR file and only accessed for specific and pre agreed reasons? If someone is looking up your number in your file for non specified reasons then that is a gdpr breach.

Namechange042012 · 27/06/2019 07:47

I know it can put you on edge once it starts happening, as you are constantly waiting for the call, even if they don't ring it's the anticipation of the call.

Could you just start ignoring the call and apologising the next day, explaining you put your phone on silent when it's family time, but are more than happy to have a meeting in the day.

Is it your line manager calling you ?

Original poster
PinkGlitter123 · 27/06/2019 08:38

Yes it's one of the line managers.
She works on different sites and we are not often in work at the same time.
Last night I tried calling back as I was panicking about what was said but she didn't pickup. I sent a text saying I had tried to call but heard nothing back.
It just feels horrible being called outside of work time as well as the content of what is said.

In the future would I be within my rights to just ignore the call? I am not a line manager myself and it's not in my contract to be available of an evening for calls.

OP posts:
Original poster
PinkGlitter123 · 27/06/2019 08:43

To answer the other question one line manager gave my number to the other.

OP posts:
HilaryBriss · 27/06/2019 08:45

Just ignore the calls, I don't really understand why you would be panicking. They obviously can't be that urgent otherwise she would have responded to your text.

chickenfajitas73 · 27/06/2019 08:46

This sounds like it may be a hospitality environment position ? You will probably find you are hourly paid but your contract will be cleverly worded to the likes of ‘Pink usual hours of employment at 30 hours per week, but this may vary to suit the needs of the business’ which is basically a zero hours contract.

bridgetreilly · 27/06/2019 08:47

It's tricky if your work hours rarely overlap with this other person. I think you need to say to her that you won't be answering calls outside of your working hours, but if there's something important that you need to discuss she should email you and you will schedule a time that suits you both.

chickenfajitas73 · 27/06/2019 08:47

*are not at

InfiniteCurve · 27/06/2019 08:51

I would usually say ignore to this,but this doesn't sound as if it a specific work query ( what have you done with X? for example) which will lead to you regularly doing bits of work out if hours.
Your manager should contact you during the day,and IMO it's the managers place to call out of her work hours if your hours don't overlap.But if it's worrying you it might be much more straightforward just to return the call, have whatever conversation it is and get it over with.
To be even gloomier if you are worried about unemployment the conversation might involve things you can do to make your job more secure.Or if it's a business wide issue,to help you plan for the future.

Original poster
PinkGlitter123 · 27/06/2019 08:55

Thanks all. I didn't actually see the call until about 8.30PM so two hours after. She had left a worrying voicemail and I tried calling a few times but no reply so I texted and so far, nothing.

OP posts:
RezCowgirl · 27/06/2019 09:02

Don't answer and don't reply. If you get questioned tell them you were busy.

katseyes7 · 27/06/2019 09:10

l had a line manager who used to do this.
lt was never about anything important, only minor stuff that could have waited, or things we'd already discussed.
When l found out that she was also doing it with the night shift supervisor, ie ringing her at 9.30 in the morning after she'd just gone to bed, l put my foot down.
When she persisted, l started logging the duration of the call at time and a half on my lieu sheet. When she realised, she said l couldn't do that. l said l could, because l worked set hours (80% of which coincided with hers), and if l rang her at a weekend, she wouldn't respond.
Then l went to the senior manager, who, thank goodness, was extremely sensible and down to earth. She couldn't believe this was happening, and had a very frank discussion with the line manager. lt stopped after that.
l agree with PP - if it's that urgent, she'd reply to your calls or texts. Don't respond if you have set working hours. Say, for example, you went to the cinema. You can't have your phone on there. What would she do then? lf you're not a manager, what does she expect you to do? l'd be inclined to say something along the lines of "if you need to contact me outside of working hours, please email me" .

Yabbers · 27/06/2019 09:11

My boss often calls beyond the work day. I understand this is because he spends most of his day in meetings and isn’t always able to call.

However, he only does it because he knows I will answer at that time and we have a good flexible working agreement so he doesn’t get pissy about taking time out for appointments etc. If I didn’t want to answer, I wouldn’t. If he was going to fire me for it then I’d find another job.

missbattenburg · 27/06/2019 09:15

If you're feeling brave OP, don't answer and tell her it's because it's outside your contracted hours but you'd be happy to talk to her inside hours.

If you're not so brave, don't answer and tell her you often don't get a signal, don't hear the phone etc at home.

If you're very brave, tell her you didn't answer because you were making love all. night. long. Grin

whothedaddy · 27/06/2019 09:15

I suppose it depends on how senior you are at work. My DP technically works 9-5.30, However he is high up in an international company which means he often has calls from the LA office chasing urgent info well into the evening. He never gets away from work, even on holidays he is sending emails. He works in mainland europe in mon-fri now too. so technically at work 24 hours as he isn't at home and can't just do what he wants.
Totally sucks, but that's the price you pay for a high salary.

However, if you aren't senior. They shouldn't be calling you, they should email and wait for you to get back to them.

Nanny0gg · 27/06/2019 09:20

@whothedaddy
I suppose it depends on how senior you are at work

If you read the OP's first post

There is nothing in my contract about this and I am on a set hourly wage not a yearly salary.

I think that shows it bears no resemblance to your DP's situation. Doesn't look like she's on a similar salary, does it?

herculepoirot2 · 27/06/2019 09:23

Call her back during work time.

newmomof1 · 27/06/2019 09:28

She shouldn't be calling you outside of working hours and you are under no obligation to answer.

When I was 18 I was doing an apprenticeship and worked 9-5. One day at about 6pm I got a text from the office manager to say my desk wasn't tidy enough and that it had to be tidied before I left for the day (my desk was tidy - someone had just put a pile of papers on it that I needed to work through the next day).
I replied to her text saying "let's discuss this tomorrow as I'm not paid to work after 5pm".
We 'discussed' it the next day and she tried to go in all guns blazing - tried to also have a go about the fact that I left bang on 5pm every day (we were also in the middle of an industrial estate and I didn't drive at the time so rarely took my lunch hour). I stood my ground. Needless to say, I got all the shit jobs for the next few weeks, but she never contacted me outside of working hours again!
I was earning £98 a week - there was no way I was working after 5 in any sense of the word!

yumscrumfatbum · 27/06/2019 09:28

My DH used to have this issue, weekends evenings, holidays. It became really intrusive. DH finds it hard to switch off from work and often carries work stress into his time off which impacts on us as well as him. In the end he got a second phone, a work phone. It's switched off early evening and work time is over. Once this message was understood he stopped getting the calls.

herculepoirot2 · 27/06/2019 09:31

newmomof1

That’s a bit different to this situation. It sounds like the OP is a salaried manager.

herculepoirot2 · 27/06/2019 09:32

Sorry, my fault; she is hourly. But still the manager?

herculepoirot2 · 27/06/2019 09:33

I think I am being a bit hasty, actually. OP, do you have any management responsibilities? I am trying to work out why she is calling you about sales, if not.

chickenfajitas73 · 27/06/2019 09:34

If you RTFT she’s not salaried and not a manager.

herculepoirot2 · 27/06/2019 09:36

chickenfajitas73

Have just corrected myself. I had read it, but I read it as she did have line management, where she doesn’t. It’s confusing why the manager is calling her at all.

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