To not want to join work's Whatapp and Facebook groups

[MaryQContrary]

I'm starting a new job on Monday (feel sick!)

Went for induction day last week and Manager said, "I'll friend you on Facebook and add you to team FB and Whatsapp group"

When I asked "why" she said they use them A LOT for giving feedback and sharing ideas.

Is this the norm in workplaces? We never did this at my old place.

I don't want FB and am fed up of people adding me to Whatsapp groups. I want to leave work at work and waste my free time on Mumsnet!

Yanbu. We use Slack for work conversations.

We have a work WhatsApp! It's invaluable!

It's not an issue if I don't reply/answer though, and is handy for keeping people in the loop if people are off.

We have a generic one then one with just the "immediate" team.

Get a very basic phone you can show them and say "I'm sorry but this phone isn't smart enough for FB or WhatsApp".

I hate being constantly told by businesses how easy apps are but my phone won't have them. They obviously think I'm a right old dinosaur.

And should they think it's essential give them a big smile and ask when you'll get your new work phone and isn't it lovely that they will be paying for both the phone and all the service charges!!!

I was part of work whatsapp. No one ever said anything about traffic, or asking for office supplies etc. It was just a load of virture signalling links, crap in jokes (between colleagues) and some really quite toxic commentary on news items. I just left as it was driving me up the wall. Resist, OP, resist!

I would change my Facebook name and photo to something only know by friends and say that I didn’t do social media...

If my colleagues need to get hold of me or disseminate information; they can contact me on the mobile phone that work provided and pays for; in work hours; using channels much more secure than public Social media accounts.

I really don’t feel the loss of other people telling me shit about how there’s (shock!) traffic on the motorway; or (gasp!) that we’re running low on milk.

The thing is though, avoiding social media like this at work could hold you back. It depends on your workplace of course, but in my experience social butterflies at work always have more opportunities. A burner account just for colleagues may be a better option.

For example, I met the MD of another department within my company at a work party and we occasionally go out for coffee and have each other on socials. About a year later I secured a major Fintech promotion because said MD sponsored my application. I earn significantly more than my old manager now, who is absolutely seething.

Another example, when I used to work in retail at university, overtime shifts were always advertised on group chats first. So if you weren’t part of the group chat (everyone was invited) you’d have less opportunity for overtime as others would snap those shifts up first.

YANBU my boss set up a team WhatsApp chat, and I insisted that she only add my work number.

If they need me for work related reasons, they can contact me through work related channels

The team I was on had whatsapp and fb, have neither.

I just said ‘I don’t have those’, it’s not in my contract to have them and I didn’t want them.

I was there 4 years we all managed with my social media absence 🤷‍♀️😀

What did you say when this was announced at your induction? If you don't do Facebook and said that, I wouldn't expect that to be pushed. If you use WhatsApp then it's probably not a good idea to lie but you could reasonably say that if you need a smartphone for work purposes, please would they provide you with one.

I'm not Facebook friends with colleagues apart from the one I'd known socially for well over a decade before starting that job. My close colleagues do mostly have my phone number but we're not expected to use WhatsApp for work. Communication is by email and I do not have my work email on my phone. It's been encouraged a few times and I've simply replied that I can't guarantee confidentiality of work content on my phone because my children sometimes use it, and that I don't want a device with personal info being linked to work email so I'd need to be provided with a work phone if they wanted me to access email by phone.

I have refused this on the first day and also said that no one is to have my number without my permission

Say it calmly and respectfully and it should set good boundaries.

Or, ask them if they will provide a work phone for that. I’ve also had one place say yes and I simply checked their crapchat in the morning while I made a coffee.

The one where they gave me the phone was a contract

The other one, I was there six years despite my refusal. Ultimately a good member of staff is, hopefully, what they want.

We have a work WhatsApp group. It’s on mute/ silent all the time

I wish I didn’t have to be on it but it’s the way our three sites communicate with each other
During the working day

As for fb./ instagram etc Just say no- I did

It wouldn’t bother me - I have work colleagues and my boss on Facebook and regularly chat to them on our what’s app group.
We use it a lot for traffic updates/asking who is coordinating the work that day/planning events and sharing photos. We also have a laugh, it’s often not about work.

Whilst it’s understandably annoying, at this point it’s just part and parcel of today’s working climate

It really isn't.
Although I work as part of a lovely team, and we all get on and support each other fully, I don't have any of them on Facebook, as it blurs lines.

If they wanted to have a WhatsaPP group to communicate with, then they need to provide us with phones that sustain that. Until then, we communicate via e-mail (are rarely all in the office together).

In my workplace, all hand overs are done via WhatsApp, which I found a bit bizarre, as I was used to an old fashioned diary, or emails, but my current manager prefers using WhatsApp & as I very rarely see them face to face, it's how all our communication is done.

However I think if you can, I'd avoid it, especially Facebook groups.
I wish I'd never got into the habit of having work emails linked on my phone tbh.

My dcs, and dcs of some of my friends work as 'casuals' (bar work / waitressing / lifeguards / other hospitality roles) and they do a LOT of communicating about shifts in Whatsapp groups, and that is fine - they like the flexibility of being able to pick up shifts when they want them and get others to over them if they want to be elsewhere, so there is definitely a place for them, but not I'd have though for full time roles, particularly if you are all office based and could actually talk to each other / meet one another / or, at least, have a Group e-mail (which of course you can do if not face to face all day every day).

We have a work WhatsApp group and it's a pain in the arse.

I keep notifications on mute but when I check it its just full of arse lickers buttering up the directors

Quite surprised by the replies here. I'd be interested to know whether age is a factor.
I'm 31 so not a "yoof" by any means, and I work with people roughly the same age. We're all on Facebook and WhatsApp groups and also interact on Twitter, I never even gave it a second thought, although I do mute the groups and check them when I feel like it. Tbh I'd find it quite stand-offish and odd if a colleague refused to take part in chats. Of course you're not obliged to but you'd immediately be isolating yourself from the rest of the team and if you're new it won't give off the best impression.

As for people knowing your personal number...I don't see why it matters, as opposed to them knowing your work one? The work mobile is still one that you use to be reached on, outside of work, same as the personal one...and if you don't have it on outside of work then it sort of defeats the purpose, you might as well just stick to a desk phone.

But what do you 'chat' about Overthinker?

If I'm stuck with a work thing, I send a group e-mail to my colleagues, and (usually within minutes) one of them will reply with the help I need.

As individuals form friendships, then I'm fairly sure people swap numbers and have groups they can 'chat' on or arrange to go out together, but it isn't for an employer to insist everyone shares personal phone numbers and 'chats' - that is something that might evolve, for those that want to as your working relationship turns into friendships for some.

Are you WhatsApps 'chat' that you might have in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil, or are they about work things ?
If work things, then how does it work if you are turning your notifications off ?

“ As for people knowing your personal number...I don't see why it matters, as opposed to them knowing your work one? The work mobile is still one that you use to be reached on, outside of work, same as the personal one...”

My personal phone is on all night because of elderly parents.

My work phone, I would switch off.

I think the blurring of boundaries between work life and personal life is awful. Maybe if you’re a director on six figures but the ordinary Jane should be left alone outside work.

Communication between sites isn’t an issue in work time but they should provide the phone, I don’t give out my number to colleagues. That would be gold for all the serial sexual harassers out there.

had it in my last job, was a nightmare constant messages saying im sick can anyone cover, had a shoplifter, then got sent the video of shoplifter and then messages does anyone know their name, found these out of date, delivery due at x time, can you clean x,y, z whilst doing everything else. if you left the group you would have got a warning, so i muted the group and only read it later on when the shop was closed

dont do it you will regret the constant pings, get a cheap phone and use that during work pretend you cant get apps lol

As for people knowing your personal number...I don't see why it matters, as opposed to them knowing your work one? The work mobile is still one that you use to be reached on, outside of work, same as the personal one...and if you don't have it on outside of work then it sort of defeats the purpose, you might as well just stick to a desk phone.

My work mobile is switched off at the end of the day. My "desk phone" is Lync (or Skype for Business) on my work laptop. I guess with me the difference is, my desk is at home, not a permanent office.

Work provide my mobile as I travel a fair bit and spend time on client sites. People who don't travel, don't get one.

They have multiple ways of getting hold of me, without my personal mobile number.

The only workplace I had one was where the team were nearly all at least ten years younger than me and while it could be fun, it did contribute to the feeling of being "always on" and never able to relax properly outside work.

I do use Whatsapp, but not for work now. What I would do personally is join the group but mute the chat and occasionally have a look to see what they are talking about.

It isn't a good idea for employers to be communicating important work messages that way along with social chatter- it needs to be one thing or the other.

If it's purely for work announcements then it should be done in working hours only, and also employees should all be provided with phones otherwise there are security issues.