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.

IF you need a break every 15 mins, have you checked your work set up and had a recent eye test? SWItching context every 15 mins will mean you are unlikely to be effective.

Regular breaks from data , or for creative work , are necessary. Get up, walk about, stretch your arms over your head. Move the body , and let the brain stay on the work in hand. Get off the flipping phone. That’s not a break.

Also want to add: "looking unprofessional"
is no more than a fallacy designed to keep employees in line. Does 'apparent professionalism' save lives, cure cancer, fund community projects, challenge inequality or make human life better? Does it fuck. It is the Victorian morals of 'keep the little workers slaving with the withered little carrot of maybe you'll be a supervisor one day if you're good, in order to maximise profits for the mill owners'.

Do I care if the guy who can fix my firewall so everyone can connect remotely to the server and therefore be more effective, wears flip flops and chats about Love Island while doing it? No I do not.
Do I think a social worker with a sharp suit and her phone locked in her car will listen more carefully to a child in danger than one who wears leggings and knows which YouTuber is currently en vogue? Nope, I judge by results. Not appearances.

People go off for over 1 hour lunches. Our CEO took us out to a 1.5hour lunch a few weeks ago. So the culture comes from the top. I try to take a 30min or 45 min lunch break, but there is no clock watching or side eyes if we take longer than expected. No one gives a shit what you’re doing. The productivity shows for itself and there’s no hiding if you haven’t done your work and more.

I have worked in some work houses, and although they shaped me, I realise I’m not just a worker, I’m a human and I don’t have to look at my screen and work flat out all day. People work better if they’re trusted and not looked down on as there’s no resentment.

I think I’ll give the manager time to settle in and learn the work environment.
That's gracious of you.

It would be quite sad if she creates awkwardness in our little team.
Your little team needs a kick up the arse and she might be the one to deliver it.

@familycourtq fair enough. A limited number of jobs may have legitimate reasoning behind certain restrictions.

Normal office jobs where you have a set of duties, projects and responsibilities to perform and take care of; those do not require security measures such as 'phones are banned'.

We are not toddlers who aren't allowed toys at the table while they eat in case they get distracted. Allowing ourselves to be infantilised like this is a huge problem.

I had a girl like this in my team in my old job- lovely girl and always got her work done but when she was finished rather than do anything else or extra she would take her phone out or if we were on a conference call rather than concentrating on it she would go on her phone. None of the others in the team did this. I had a quiet word with her and asked her to put it away during working time. I think that's reasonable - you are paid to do a job not piss around on your phone. For that job we did check Twitter etc or the news for work purposes and that's ok on the pc but there's a fine line with mumsnet/facebook/instagram on your phone etc. Am fine with phones being out for emergency purposes as well. No problem with that.

How gracious of you "to give the manager time to learn the culture"

I think you might be in for a rude awakening.

Has she been brought in to manage the behaviour that has previously been unchecked and unchallenged.

The NHS is strict about phone use in the workplace and perhaps that is something your employer needs to start emulating

I deal with a lot of data, which means sometimes staring at excel sheets and numbers and fiddling around with them

So do I, and I’m sure so do many posters on here. I can do Vlookups with my eyes closed. When I need a break I make a brew for me and my team or go to the loo. I don’t check social media every 10 – 15 minutes because I’m a responsible grown up.

Ghostpost every time you bleat “but everyone else does it” you sound like a 6 year old at primary school when you want your mum to allow you to do something.

Grow up

As PP said, only idiots fetishize 'looking busy' and presenteeism.

Only idiots think not looking at your phone every 15 minutes is presenteeism.

I do check my phone every 10/15 mins because it gives my eyes a break.

Going from one screen to another is not giving your eyes a break.

I spend my days looking at spreadsheets. I’ve never felt the need to give my eyes a break every ten minutes. If I did so, it would definitely mean I’m not concentrating on the task in hand.

Don't forget, many office jobs are basically bullshit jobs and it's easy to see that a lot of people on this thread have swallowed that very bullshit.

Sadly I think you’re in for a bit of a shock with your attitude. You have no rights when it comes to dismissal - and I’m afraid you really have the wrong attitude as a new employee.

You're not being micromanaged, OP, you're being performance managed. Expect more of it and the quality/volume of your output to be scrutinized.

And then expect to be looking for a new job.

This.

OP people who don't work in an environment where work is either done or not won't get it. In my job you get stuff done in timescale, see clients in timescale and make sure everything is written up - and no one gives a fuck how you manage your time as long as that happens. My manager actually asked me to remind him how many hours I do the other day. He only offered me the job 9 months ago. I go in different hours every week depending on what's going on at home and work from home whenever I want... it's a very very different environment to a lot of jobs and anyone who is in a role where you have to be totally present won't get it. I used to work in an office where everyone timed everyone else's lunch break, or gossiped if someone was late. It was awful.

No one gives a shit what you’re doing.

Well clearly your manager does.

The productivity shows for itself and there’s no hiding if you haven’t done your work and more.

Clearly your "little team" is massively over-staffed.

Your new manager has obviously come from a more "tradtional" working environment where people are paid to, you know, work.

Why do you think she's the one in the wrong?

So, OP why not bring a book in and every 15 mins read a few lines?
Or a newspaper?

It would look like you’re not working properly because you’re not.

Why are people so obsessed with their phones?

Maybe you’re addicted.

Some people watch Netflix and YouTube all day too whilst working

Really? How can it be working if they're watching cat videos or boxsets?!

And giving your eyes a rest by stopping looking at Excel and looking at your phone screen instead? You're nuts if you think swapping one screen for another is helping your eyes ! You need to look out the window, focus on things far away to give your eyes a break from screen work....

Honestly, you sound like a whiny teenager and you'd last about 5 minutes in our office.
We're allowed to check personal email etc. but most people would do that maybe once or twice a day - not "for a few minutes every 10 - 15 minutes"

Don't forget, many office jobs are basically bullshit jobs and it's easy to see that a lot of people on this thread have swallowed that very bullshit.

Unless you know what jobs people have, you cannot possibly know if they are bullshit jobs. I saved a client over £1m on a construction project today. Not sure she would agree my job is bullshit.

FrauHaribo
After an hour of reading complicated fiscal legislation I would need 5-10 minutes of something mind numbing like twitter or candycrush.

I would tell you to get off your chair and get a drink or better some fresh air instead of staying in front of your screen..

....and you would be the definition of a micro manager. You agree that someone needs breaks but then think you have some sort of right to dictate how those breaks are taken? Do you tell people when to poop too?

Really? How can it be working if they're watching cat videos or boxsets?!

TBF, if I’m working from home I can easily have something playing on the iPad and still do my job. I hate quiet, find it unsettling. I don’t watch it and mostly don’t listen to it, I just hear it. I only do this if I don’t have a podcast to put on.

Everyone on here thinking the OO is unreasonable must have jobs where they literally clock in and off, have set lunch breaks and must never talk to anyone during the day. A quick back and forth with someone is no different to checking your phone. Academic research type roles are not by the clock roles. If something needs doing, people stay and get it done. If nothing is going on at lunchtime, they work through lunch eating at their desk. So a couple of mins a few tones an hour is all balanced out. Micromanaging is so detrimental. Like the OP said, work is done well and on time. That means working extra when needed. So that also means kicking back a bit when it's quieter.

God I'd hate to work with some of the work robots here.

We are fine to check phone/email at work, nobody bats an eyelid at all, management are cool - as long as the work is being done. We all know this and work accordingly - you clearly know your own work environment OP but I think the types who'd go power-crazy if they were given a uniform or position have taken over the thread, and decided they somehow know the culture of your workplace better than you.

Is there any way you can put your head down and work, and just keep out of her way aside from that? Use your phone outside. I'm wondering if she's only like that with you as unfortunately I've come across that dynamic before.

Checking a phone every 10-15 mins is taking the piss 😂

Targets aren't minimums, they are targets. You know, things to for. Not the starting line.
not in my field - don't know anyone who is happy with doing the bare minimum

Also, if employers want to move the target so that employees have to work more/harder, then they need to pay more.
they do... that's what commissions and bonuses are for.

Never have I seen anyone saying on the 20th of the month - for example - oh, target reached, I am doing fuck all until the 01st of next month, I don't give a shit about the money any more.

'Not allowed phones'? FUCK OFF I AM A GROWN UP. I will decide if I can have my phone on me. but if you can't behave like a grown up and have that shit attitude, you can leave. Actually you will leave because you will quickly be told to go.

Let's not pretend that no employee has ever taken the piss, ever, and that it's all the fault of the nasty bosses, no one would be that childish, would they?

Is there any way you can put your head down and work, and just keep out of her way aside from that?

So the OP should just do her job...

Do you have an employee handbook? You should. It is worth checking to see what the policies are regarding social media and use of phone within the working day.
I employ 24 staff, and have a policy that personal phones should be restricted to breaks/lunch only. It's simply unprofessional and distracting.
It's nothing new either. Back before the advent of mobile phones, making personal phone calls in work time was frowned upon.
And as an employee if I was looking to promote and individual, I would pick the one that was the most productive, and hard working. I'd really frown upon the behaviour of the OP