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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Compulsory use of Teams in own time

75 replies

majorieolive · 21/09/2020 12:46

I work in a shop that now uses Teams. I have been told that the only way to find out my hours and any other important information is via Teams.

I am happy to answer my personal phone but do not think I should be forced to access teams in my own time on my own personal phone / computer. Can I be blackmailed into this or do I have a right to access teams during my contracted hours at work? I work full time in a small shop on one floor.

OP posts:
Redcrayons · 21/09/2020 13:14

Xpost
I see your point now. We have a work WhatsApp supposed to be for super urgent stuff but people post all sorts of chat. I just ignore the whole thing and tell them I’ve turned notifications off because one of my other groups is too busy and it’s distracting.

ineedaholidaynow · 21/09/2020 13:14

But surely you can just ignore the irrelevant chat if you want to, just go through it regularly to find out anything important. Maybe you could request that there is a social chat group and a work chat group, so you just need to look at the work one

RepeatSwan · 21/09/2020 13:15

On days of = on days off

CeibaTree · 21/09/2020 13:15

I honestly don't see a problem with this - Teams is just another form of communication. You might as well be saying I don't want to use my phone or email for anything to do with work outside of working hours. Honestly, they are not trying to make you do it to annoy you - it's not a big deal, and certainly not blackmail!

GreySkyClouds · 21/09/2020 13:15

@Lockheart

It's not blackmail, don't be ridiculous.

If you're happy to answer your personal phone then Teams is no different on your personal phone. No need to have the camera on at all, just answer it like you would a normal phone call.

Agree.
CeibaTree · 21/09/2020 13:16

Ah cross post - your update puts a different perspective on things!

Boobissue · 21/09/2020 13:18

So is it for checking your shifts. Or for constant monitoring?

Original poster
majorieolive · 21/09/2020 13:18

Daily Team Brief and any other notifications but it seems to be full of what I would define as spam i.e. pics of a couple of items incorrectly stacked that came through on an evening out which is why its only on my lap top now.

I was informed that during a Teams chat Myself and one other were the only people that had not put into someone's birthday collection. I had in fact given her a present without broadcasting the fact. Naming and shaming is not that I wish to be associated with

OP posts:
ClementineWoolysocks · 21/09/2020 13:19

Its the fact that I am expected to constantly monitor Teams in my own time on a daily basis

Who's set this expectation? What are you monitoring it for?

Serendipity79 · 21/09/2020 13:20

Teams is widely recognised as a collaboration tool. You can turn alerts off, use the Do Not Disturb functionality and you can as a last resort sign out of it as well. If people are using it as a chat thing, as it sounds like they are then turn it off or onto DND outside of working hours, other than if you need to go onto it to check your rota.

Boobissue · 21/09/2020 13:21

So just log in to see your shifts? Simple? You don't and aren't using it on your phone.

Just log on once a week to see shifts, not difficult?

Wearywithteens · 21/09/2020 13:23

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

dentydown · 21/09/2020 13:24

What if you didn’t have internet access at home and only a basic mobile? What would they do then?

wigglerose · 21/09/2020 13:25

I think that yes you've got grounds to ask for work conversations to be during work or reasonable hours (like before 5pm or 12pm on a day off because you suddenly need to come in to cover a shift the next day for example and you weren't rota'ed for it) unless it is an emergency. 9pm on a Sunday is not that, unless it was an emergency, which I can't tell from your post.

I think it's reasonable to ask for shifts to be put up in sufficient time that you can check them during work hours on Teams or not, so you don't have to keep an eye on the Teams when you're not at work. When I worked shifts in a restaurant, shifts were put up a week in advance so everyone could check them (but then this was in the stone ages....).

I'm not sure if you're expected to monitor work-related discussion on your time off, or the team chat? Or is it that the work-chat channel on Teams is being used for personal/non-work chat as well? so it's hard to keep up with what you need to know without wading through a load of non-work banter and chat? I think its reasonable to ask management to ask the team to keep non-work chatter down on the work teams chat.

I'd ask for a chat channel and a work channel to be created so you can mute the chat and keep the work open and mute the personal/non-work chat.

We have a team watsapp that we use for non-work chat (pictures of babies, children, pets and covid memes mainly). If someone rang me to discuss what someone had said on the non-work chat team watsapp at 9pm on Sunday I'd ask them if they needed their head examined, frankly. But then my team aren't knobbers and wouldn't do that...

TheLastStarfighter · 21/09/2020 13:26

OP I think we need more info. How are you expected to check? Specifically, rather than just "on Teams, on the laptop at home". Are you accessing a document, or joining a call, or having to trawl through a long chat for the info.

How do you get to the information, and how long does it take you to do it. How often do you need to check?

It makes a difference as to whether it is reasonable.

NoSleepInTheHeat · 21/09/2020 13:27

Yes YABU, you are not expected to work, just to use an online tools to check your shifts, so literally minutes once a week.

Original poster
majorieolive · 21/09/2020 13:28

If I simply check my shifts when they sort the issue and then log off without reading through the spam as you suggest am I likely to be disciplined for not reading any items that may be relevant. Can I have a separate "channel" on teams from management that by passes all the irrelevant spam?

OP posts:
Terrace58 · 21/09/2020 13:30

I’m old enough that we had to physically go to the shop on Sunday evening to find out if we were working Monday morning. Logging onto Teams is nothing and YAB ridiculous.

SpaceOP · 21/09/2020 13:32

I'm confused about what you need to do on Teams? Log on to check your shifts? I think that's perfectly valid. Respond to calls and messages, constantly while not at work, that's different.

wigglerose · 21/09/2020 13:34

@marjorieolive I'd do just that and ask your line manager to set up a social/non-work chat and an information from management chat. That will help with the clutter/spam.

Original poster
majorieolive · 21/09/2020 13:34

@NoSleepInTheHeat

Yes YABU, you are not expected to work, just to use an online tools to check your shifts, so literally minutes once a week.
Why do you assume it is only to check my shifts? as you say I clearly would have no problem if this were the case. I am now repeating myself. I am expected to check every day for a team brief and then constant daily updates that can come through at any time of the day or evening
OP posts:
unimaginativeusernamehere · 21/09/2020 13:35

You're not being very clear. Has your manager asked you to check teams outside of your working hours daily (for anything other than to see your shifts which in my opinion is a reasonable use of your personal time).

Or is the issue that you have annoying colleagues?

Hingeandbracket · 21/09/2020 13:38

Can I have a separate "channel" on teams from management that by passes all the irrelevant spam?
Work would have to set this up - and police it so people don't post spam in the work related stuff.

SpaceOP · 21/09/2020 13:40

@majorieolive

I clearly have no problem checking my shifts which ironically are not yet working on Teams. Its the fact that I am expected to constantly monitor Teams in my own time on a daily basis. I simply work as a shop assistant. I have colleagues phoning me to ask what I think of So and so on Teams (last time 21.00 Sunday). I don't work in a hospital I simply do not care who has contributed to whoever's birthday present. If it was only used by management then I would be fine with that
Well, it sounds like management DON'T expect you to. It's more that your colleagues don't seem to have a clue how to use these types of tools. So absolutely, turn off alerts etc. I mean, is there any management-provided rule that says you have to respond to every call on Teams at any time of the day or night? Because assuming not, then simply ensure your notifications are off and just ignore random colleagues calling you to gossip about other random colleagues.
SpaceOP · 21/09/2020 13:40

I am expected to check every day for a team brief and then constant daily updates that can come through at any time of the day or evening

Expected by who? And what kind of updated? The only example you've given is a colleague ringing you for a gossip?

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