Work WhatsApp messages at the weekend

[Whenlifegivesyoulimoncello]

I’ll start with pointing out that I’m self employed as appreciate that will put a different perspective on this.

However I’m getting fed up with clients sending WA messages at the weekend. Nothing urgent - treating it, I guess as you would email.

Aibu to be so irritated by this.

If you’re not intending to speak to clients at the weekend then surely the solution is to have a work phone and a personal phone and turn the work one off at the weekend?

Mute WhatsApp notifications, check whenever is convenient for you and enjoy your weekend.

Mute them until Monday.

Problem that is easily solved.

Mute it - sorted

Why would you have your work and personal WhatsApp as the same?

@Calic0 I’ve tried that before and it just doesn’t work for me. Having two phones is more of. PITA than it sounds.

Muting them all is a good idea though. I use WhatsApp for business so have an “out of office” that goes to clients - but I wish they would introduce a proper mute feature for anyone labelled as a customer.

@whiskerspete because having two phones is more hassle than you would expect.
It’s two phones that need charging, taking out with you, paying for, replacing etc etc.

get a phone with 2 sim cards?

you can set your whats app so that the sender can't see if you've read the message or not. Or set your status to : all messages will be read and responded to during working hours only (then specify what they are)

OTOH, if what you do is something where there is a lot of supply compared to demand, and you're self-employed, you may have to consider working 24/7 as being the downside of that

My husband has a work phone and a personal phone - he bought the work one specifically because his company expected him to use his personal phone for work stuff. He hasn't mentioned it being a hassle at all. Why not try it?

[quote Whenlifegivesyoulimoncello]@whiskerspete because having two phones is more hassle than you would expect.
It’s two phones that need charging, taking out with you, paying for, replacing etc etc.[/quote]
I have 2 phones. I really don't find it a hassle tbh. Only issue I have is I then don't claim 100% for the work one as I sometimes end up using it for personal calls. I started having a second one though so I could turn it off at the weekend as work just leaked into every aspect of my life otherwise

@Newmumatlast I tried it before and it really didn’t suit me - but a huge part of my job is reliant on having apps etc on the phone.

I think maybe I need to think about how I can make it work though.

I’m part of a work WhatsApp group OP and I get sick of seeing ping ping ping on my phone. I always mute the group chat and go back to it on Monday. I get your frustration!

How do you use WhatsApp for work... I would start a separate thread but not sure what I'm asking. can you send invoices or share detailed quotes? Do you snapshot the QR code to look at documents on a desktop or big screen device to read work documents? Someone suggested Whatsapp for sorting out a long detailed complex document we need to co-produce (in a large team) and I can't fathom how that would work.

I can't use TEAMS for our project, since collaborators are external to my organisation.

I think this is a problem of your own making because you won’t have two phones.

The solution is in your hands too, even if you don’t want two phones.

Just mute all work related conversations throughout the weekend?🤷🏻‍♀️

Turn off the read receipts.
People will only do what YOU let them get away with. If you only answer on a Monday then they'll soon learn.

DH's work phone is sat on his desk for the weekend. He might glance at it on Sunday night, but certainly wouldn't be answering messages until Monday (unless it was something social).

I am probably guilty of sending messages to electricians etc after 4pm and at weekends as I figure that they will be busy with clients during the day. I usually start them "no need to think about this over the weekend".... They seem happy enough with this arrangement.

@JoeBidenIsGreat for what you’re talking about - no if not say WhatsApp for business is the best. Maybe more something like slack sounds more appropriate.L for the project you’re describing.

I have all notifications off on my phone, the only thing that will get my immediate attention is a phone call which also vibrates my watch. Anything else I only get if I CHOOSE to check. My anxiety levels have reduced hugely since doing this.

Is it any difference from having 2 laptops and needing to charge both of them? I have my own laptop for my own use, then I have a work-issued laptop (WFH) with a headset for making work-related calls. All separate from my home laptop/phone When I finished for the day / weekend, I put the work laptop/headset away into a drawer.

Is WhatsApp what you use for communication with your clients? I’d honestly move to just using email if you don’t want two phones.

If you have a Samsung then you can set up two WhatsApp accounts on one phone and then just mute the work WhatsApp account on the weekend

I manage perfectly well with two phones or get a dual sim phone. It's really not difficult to resolve.

I have two phones but it's surprising how many people get through on the private line, no idea how?! It's not set up in my full name on any platform?