To think that workplaces should give you a phone if they want you to use it for work purposes?

[Keke94LND]

So this is actually almost 4 years too late, and there's nothing I can do about it now, but I was 23 when I started my job and at the time I wasn't confident enough to say no, but.. AIBU unreasonable to think work places should give you a phone if they want you to use yours for work purposes?

I'm a PA for reference:
On my first day at my job, my boss asked the IT guy to put my emails onto my phone... I just went along with it, but in hindsight now I think.. what if I don't want them on MY phone?

My boss frequently WhatsApp's me or calls me on my mobile (mainly when she is abroad or needs something out of hours). Occasionally I have to check my boss in for flights etc on weekends so I use my phone for this, although I don't mind that so much.

When covid hit and we started working from home, there was one day where my phone started playing up, and my boss told me I must get it fixed and it's very important I have a working phone especially at that time because of working from home! This was when I started to think 'it's my fucking phone'!

Is this normal for work places? Do most of you have your own work phones or are you expected to use your phones that you pay for? What if I decided I just wanted a bog standard Nokia flip phone? Lol

YANBU

Definitely should have a work phone in that situation in my experience!

Hi, my former work place also expected me to use my phone including abroad. They didn’t give me one but paid for my monthly phone bill/contract (up to £70 per month) and then it was up to me to choose a suitable phone. When I was a PA many moons ago I had a work blackberry.
It’s tax deductible for your employer so won’t cost them much. As a PA I would expect my employer to pay for my phone or refund costs of your contract.

You should be provided with a phone for work purposes and be able to switch it off when you finish for the day. Some of my colleagues just use their personal phones, it leads to an erosion if boundaries and unrealistic expectations if yourself and others.

I'm an EA and while I got a phone it's terrible so I bought my own handset however the contract sim is paid for by work.

Can you claim a monthly allowance? Some colleagues who don't have work phones are able to claim for usage though nowadays in the euros of unlimited minutes I don't think many bother tbh

I work for a company that reports each day through WhatsApp, multiple groups each day. It is completely expected to use your own phone. I don't know anyone with work phones except the area managers. You can email the updates but that's unusual and I know those in our team that don't have WhatsApp feel very left out and miss important communications as they all come through the WA group. It would cost the company for too much to give every manger a phone. It is a quick and effective way to get comms out instantly when needed.
At night, on annual leave or just if you want to (except to contribute your update) we would put the groups on mute.

1000% agree

Yes should provide a phone. I wouldn’t want work emails on mine.
It’s difficult to bring up as you’ve let it go 4 years.

This winds me up no end. I have a work phone and switch it off when not working so that's all good but I have friends who check their work emails during evenings/weekends/annual leave then get annoyed that they are stressed about work. Or my DS who is a teacher, has been added to WhatsApp groups on her personal phone by the HT - arggghhh! Obviously they won't be discussing pupils, but discussing work while not at school!!

I think in these WFH times, it's even more important to keep those boundaries drawn! I hate that work has already seeped into my home life by me having a space in my bedroom permanently set up for work.

I think you need to address this. I am outraged that you are expected to be contactable 24/7. Unless they are paying you a massive on-call fee, then this is totally unreasonable.

Request a work phone. Tell her you no longer use your personal mobile for work and block her on your personal phone.

Agree, work phones should be separate for all kinds of reasons.

I don't think it matters that 4 years have passed. Tell them you need the boundaries.

If you have a review coming up you could raise it. That’s most professional answer.
Other option is for your phone to ‘break’ and decide you are going to wait until contract up/shop around. Borrow one from boyfriend or mum etc to tide over. Any suggestion you give number to boss and have work emails on it say oh no it’s not my phone. Boss will get you a phone as clearly they need to contact you.

Before I had a work phone, I'd block numbers at the end of the day and unblock in the morning. Very few people rang me though so that was OK!

I suspect part of the reason I was given a work phone was that I'd "turn my phone off" randomly. It's my phone that I pay for so if I wanna turn it off I bloody will.

I've requested a work phone for these purposes in every job I've had. When I'm not working, it's off.
I do have emails on my personal phone, but that's primarily so that I can email if there are issues (illness etc), without leaking my actual phone number. If they want that, they can go to HR and provide a good reason.
Senior management generally have a different attitude to work-life balance than people below them (and I might too, if/when I'm on a six figure salary) and do need to be checked. Easier to do upfront than roll back.
In your situation, I would work-related mute groups out of work hours and if you get any comments just state that you do that

@Dixiechickonhols

Yes should provide a phone. I wouldn’t want work emails on mine. It’s difficult to bring up as you’ve let it go 4 years.

Yeah I can't really bring it up now tbh .. just learn from it for my next job!

You could easily change your phone now though. I know that is far from ideal, but if you got a new number, you could then have this argument with them about needing a new work phone.

Of course you can bring it up now. Maybe at your next review? It’s a tax deductible expense for them, no big deal. You could at least ask to get some of your phone expenses/contract refunded.

@BreadPita

I've requested a work phone for these purposes in every job I've had. When I'm not working, it's off. I do have emails on my personal phone, but that's primarily so that I can email if there are issues (illness etc), without leaking my actual phone number. If they want that, they can go to HR and provide a good reason. Senior management generally have a different attitude to work-life balance than people below them (and I might too, if/when I'm on a six figure salary) and do need to be checked. Easier to do upfront than roll back. In your situation, I would work-related mute groups out of work hours and if you get any comments just state that you do that

Yes, I often think that my boss expects me to be as dedicated to the business as she is, this business is her whole life, it's not mine, I don't own it, I'm an employee and I earn £35k and she earns well over £100k!

Although more cash you could get a second phone/SIM and a new number which you only give out to people whom you are happy to contact you outside of work time. Especially if you are due an upgrade or just get a cheap one which you put your work sim in. Not ideal in terms of the cost to you but it will help you to enforce boundaries. Then turn the work phone off when you don't want to be contacted.

I refuse point blank to use my personal phone for work.
Apart from anything else, it’s terrible from a data protection point of view - no client/customer data or work related passwords should ever be stored on a personal phone.

My boss doesn’t see the logic, even after the memorable occasion he lost his personal phone linked to his email account full of confidential client data at an event/night out, and then refused to remotely erase it because it also contained irreplaceable family photos.

A work phone is important for work life balance. It's really hard to ignore emails and messages even if you turn off alerts, as you can see something is there. I have a work phone but colleagues have my personal phone number too. They know they can contact me on that out of hours if important but otherwise it waits until I turn my phone on.

I have also seen complaints before about sending emails at antisocial hours. I have always assumed I can email people e.g. my child's teacher in the evening when I am free and they can read my email when they are in work next day. I would feel bad to think they were reading it right then at home if it's on their own phone.

@BeastOfBODMAS

I refuse point blank to use my personal phone for work. Apart from anything else, it’s terrible from a data protection point of view - no client/customer data or work related passwords should ever be stored on a personal phone.

My boss doesn’t see the logic, even after the memorable occasion he lost his personal phone linked to his email account full of confidential client data at an event/night out, and then refused to remotely erase it because it also contained irreplaceable family photos.

Snap.

Work gave me the option of using my own phone, but wanted the power to wipe it. Sod that for a game of soldiers.

I now have a company phone that I use for work business only - they're welcome to remotely wipe the damn thing whenever they feel like, as it's not my data, it's theirs.

@BeastOfBODMAS

I refuse point blank to use my personal phone for work. Apart from anything else, it’s terrible from a data protection point of view - no client/customer data or work related passwords should ever be stored on a personal phone.

My boss doesn’t see the logic, even after the memorable occasion he lost his personal phone linked to his email account full of confidential client data at an event/night out, and then refused to remotely erase it because it also contained irreplaceable family photos.

See this is what I think aswell, it's odd considering my boss is very big on confidentiality!

@BendingSpoons

A work phone is important for work life balance. It's really hard to ignore emails and messages even if you turn off alerts, as you can see something is there. I have a work phone but colleagues have my personal phone number too. They know they can contact me on that out of hours if important but otherwise it waits until I turn my phone on.

I have also seen complaints before about sending emails at antisocial hours. I have always assumed I can email people e.g. my child's teacher in the evening when I am free and they can read my email when they are in work next day. I would feel bad to think they were reading it right then at home if it's on their own phone.

Agree about sending emails, I get it sometimes you think of something so want to send an email instantly so you don't forget it, but it's not very respectful to the other persons boundaries, are people aware that they can write an email and schedule it to be sent at 9am the next morning? My boyfriend had to have a word with someone on his team because they had been sending emails at 4am!