New manager keeps disturbing me with irrelevant things every time I’m on my phone :/

[Ghostpost]

I was employed before her, and have been here a couple of months. We’re in a research type environement and everything is really laid back with phones, work hours, days off etc. Everyone knows work gets done, deadlines are met so everyone is happy that the place is so flexible around family life.

She’s been here 3 days and has mentioned twice if I have enough work to keep me busy (😒).. I’m an adult and I know what I need to do. And although it would be really easy to take the piss here, I have been working incredibly hard to make a difference to our department.

I’ve noticed today she keeps coming and disturbing me every time I’m on my phone reading twitter or whatever. She’s making me feel like a school child not being allowed on my phone. She’s looked over at me a few times already whilst I’m typing this.

If I wasn’t working she would have a point to make, but I refuse to be micromanaged like this, as I’m not a child. It’s making me uncomfortable.

I thought you meant whilst you were on work calls
I mean, I work somewhere and am regularly checking my phone. Most people are. I would be the first to admit I probably spend more time than most people on my team doing it though. I also hit my targets so don't really feel bad about it!! Having said that, I know it's not strictly approved by management so if my boss came over while I was doing it id put my phone down and see what he wanted and think that's probably the way forward here.

I wonder how much money in “lost productivity” this thread has cost British businesses?

Goodness me, I would hate to work under some of the posters here. Sounds like a sweatshop.

Ye Gods.

I have been working incredibly hard

Don't make me laugh. You are taking the absolute piss.

I work for a very very flexible employer. Work from home twice a week. During school holidays more. When I’m at work I do check my phone but not every 10/15mins. I don’t think it would be frowned upon as it is a very laid back approach. It’s because of this laid back approach that I don’t abuse it. No matter what you say OP you are abusing something this. We had a colleague who basically would work from home and we could never get in touch with them. It go to a stage where my manager threatened stopping working from home for all of us.
Just because a culture is a certain way doesn’t mean it will always stay that way. It’s very easy to take advantage of flexible employers. Please don’t take the piss as what you’ll see happening is rigid rules put in place or workloads increased for everyone.

Yes it's a good point that all you need is one employee to totally take the piss and not behave like an adult for employers to crack down and the easygoing atmosphere is gone.

It sounds like where I used to work- is it in the middle of the countryside?? The main thing is to get your work done - people work in different ways.

😂😂😂😂😂 Please tell me this is a wind up!!!!!

Hmmm... makes me wonder why companies sometimes relocate abroad ... clearly there are companies who are so lax that they only meet their targets with minimal effort.
I’m not sure how I’d feel when, at the supermarket checkout, the cashier suddenly stopped scanning my shopping in order to check new facebook updates or to comment on a twitter feed.
Every fifteen minutes??? OP , I really hope that you’re called out. Why don’t you resign so that you can devote all of your time to your mobile phone? Maybe your replacement could manage two projects with the time that you’re wasting.

Oh the humanity! 😱

OP can I also add that you are sounding very childish. Blaming posters not understanding a culture you only joined 4 months ago yourself! My company also expects work done and allows us all to work in relaxed environments. We have table tennis or table football that is there for our use throughout the day, however people only really go on it during lunch or from about 3pm. Why? Because they use it as a time out from a good few hours of working. Not every 15 minutes!! You are seriously a piss take and I can say this working for a flexible employer for nearly 10 years.

I would put the phone away and at least try to look busy, ask if there is anything else to be done when she comes over or just chat to her and engage.

You could look later. It may be a good habit to break?

They dont care about this where i work. We work to deadlines and they trust us, and know we have lives. I dont take the piss but a quick glance to see messages or respond to messages is fine.

You don't go on twitter or anything else on your phone at work unless you're on a lunch break. Honestly!

I've never been aloud on my phone unless it's break/lunch time.

I wouldn't be annoyed I'd just respect the managers rules.

Instead of writing here I suggest you say it to your manager if this isn't a joke!

Still only a few people who understand this work culture.

I think a lot of these rude and spiteful comments about losing my job and being fired are out of jealousy. Horrible vile people.

How do you even know how I’m doing at my job? I’ve taken over a whole area, made changes, suggested better changes to my NM. I’m proactive in all situations and have created documents and data that were missing and needed.

Being on my phone doesn’t make me a lazy or bad worker. Luckily some people understand this.
I’m finding all these comments ful of spite. Wonder what’s missing in your lives?!

This can’t be real???

Phones at work!!! I mean you’re there to work, not read your phone.

So you’ve been there a few months...I’m guessing as with most employment contracts you’ll be subject to a probationary period. Who do you think will be signing off your permanent employment? - Your Manager I expect.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find a post from you in a few months asking for employment advice about the warning you’ve received for using your phone during work time.

I agree with those who've said time at work is not for dossing on your phone. She's not being unusual, I think most bosses would think this was out of line.

OP
Full disclosure, I started this thread thinking it was odd

I’ve only ever had one job that’s been relaxed

I note a pp said “you’re being paid to work x hours”. This job is the first I’ve had where my boss said “if you can get the work done, just leave early, it’s not fair to make you do more work because other people take longer to get the same amount done.”

I agree. Cubicle mice like myself should be measured on output. For that reason, when mum’s been ill etc, I’ve been cut a lot of slack because I’m often ahead of what’s expected.

It’s the first and only job I’ve had like this though. I’m 43. Some posters havent seen this environment at all. If your boss is taking all these tea breaks, she’s doing the same as you anyway. How do they count smoke breaks?

I know what you mean about switching from excel to phone. Excel makes my eyes go funny. My regular phone screen doesn’t.

No-one's saying it means the rest of what you're doing is bad- just that it's not usually considered appropriate. And for sure you might well have got even more done if you weren't spending some of the time messing around online etc.

Not much missing.

Do you know that until you’ve worked somewhere for 2 years you can be sacked with no reason given, just notice.

Regardless of you’re own thoughts on phone use, your manager who makes these decisions clearly doesn’t like your style.

It won’t be her that needs to change tack.

Once I got called into the office for wearing the wrong colour hair band and here you’re complaining about not being able to use your personal phone at work. Smh. You might be an adult but you’re not grown up.

**I have been working incredibly hard to make a difference to our department.

No, you’re not. You’re just following suit.

If I were your manager, I’d be discussing the dismissal process with HR.