How do I stop my colleagues contacting me on my personal phone?

[didntyou]

I'm after some advice. A few years ago my line manager and I had to travel somewhere for a meeting. She gave me her phone number and I made the mistake of texting her from my own phone when I was on my way to meet her. I wouldn't class her as a friend, we are most definitely colleagues.

Since then she occasionally sends me work related messages on WhatsApp, and has since shared my phone number without permission to another manager, who has phoned me at home about a work related incident.

Am I being unreasonable to not want to use my own phone for work communications? I don't particularly like my job, and don't want to be reminded of work by seeing their profile pictures whilst scrolling through WhatsApp (I saved their phone numbers so that I know when they are calling before I answer).

I have a work laptop, and they can contact me on that by email or Skype/Zoom, but as soon as the laptop is off I want to be left alone.

How do I fix this? I don't feel like I can tell them to delete my phone number as it's been going on for so long, and don't really want to change my number because of the hassle involved. Any ideas?

Could they think it's a work phone they're calling? If not, just say you don't want to be contacted on your personal phone but if they can supply you with a work phone that would be great (or just use virtual calls as you say you have).

Block their numbers and tell them you changed your number (but don’t)

I presume you don’t have a work phone?

Tricky but I think you’ll have to say something.

Or I suppose you could block them and say you changed your number if they ask

Just block their numbers

An occasional WhatsApp message and one phonecall once... seems like a non issue to be honest.

Block the numbers?

No need to lie about changing your number.

Just tell them that you never intended for you number to be given out, and that you like to keep work and private life separate.

That's a perfectly reasonable thing to say.

Just block them. If they mention it and you don't feel up to being honest you could say you sometimes lend your phone to your mum/child/partner so you need to make sure only personal contacts are on there.

No I don't have a work phone. They would definitely know it's my personal phone, the work phones that are given out to some people don't have WhatsApp on them. Both of these people are more than happy to use their own devices, and also happy to be contacted at all hours too, which I'm not.

I could block them and say I've changed my number but then what happens if they ask for my new number? I'm also concerned that the second person in particular may pass my number on to others if they ask, not maliciously, simply because they don't see the issue and would be more than happy for anyone to have their phone number.

This is exactly the issue I'm concerned about. They don't have a problem with their details being given out so wouldn't understand why I do have a problem with it.

Just block them. Then delete so you don’t see their picture.
If they ask, just say you prefer to keep a boundary between professional and private lives. If pushed, you could follow up with it’s too easy for one to intrude into the other, and work email is there for contact and you will see to it as soon as you return to work.

Seriously, is it that difficult to just tell them you'd prefer not to take work calls on your personal phone? Why all the complication? Why are people so afraid of saying anything about the most easily resolved things?

Isn’t it a breach of gdpr if they give out your personal number without consent?

Sorry but I don't understand why you can't just tell them that you prefer not to receive work calls on your personal phone and ask them to email you instead! You are making them out to be the bad guys when you haven't even sent them the memo!

I think it’s fine to say politely that you want to keep a boundary between work time and leisure time. These days, with so much hybrid/home working occurring, it’s a sensible approach in general I think. There needs to be demarcation between work and home.

In that case, I think you’ll just need to be honest with them and tell them what you’ve told us. Bite the bullet!

I would just block them. Ignore messages or calls from other colleagues.

I never answer calls from numbers I don’t recognise anyway.

Yes definitely block and then if they follow up , act confused and say, "You mean my personal phone? I changed that number a while back. Email is a better way to get hold of me." If they push just keep looking confused. "No, I haven't got a work phone."

No one at my current job has my WhatsApp number, fuck that.

Just tell them to prefer all work stuff on the work phone. Nothing awkward about that at all and stops number being shared.

Also mute or put chats in archives.

If your not up for directly telling them
then just ignore them text them next day sorry personal phone goes on silent when at home best way is through work laptop or email

Think you’ve got three options

1. Tell them you don’t want them to contact you
2. Keep quiet and put up with it
3. Don’t reply / answer and hope they get the hint.

We don’t have work phones where I am. Sometimes I need to contact people in my team but I always start with “really sorry to bother you but…” it’s usually to ask them if they want overtime which they all want at the moment so they aren’t too bothered about it. I get that some people would hate it though, especially if they hate the job. I wouldn’t give their numbers out to anyone, that’s not on.

You do realise it's possible for people to respect and honour each other's way of doing things, even though they might differ from their own?

I had this strangely with a colleague although she did have a work phone. I do not and she has messaged me on my personal phone a few times.

Why on earth are you recommending a continuous series of lies? Why not just tell the truth, that you don't want to be contacted on your personal phone out of hours. Much simpler and less likely to cause trouble.

In principle yes, but you have other managers happy to share their WhatsApp, and the OP can hardly say, " Well too bad for those lovers, I hate this job and don't want to see your faces on my WhatsApp. "

I'd go with the white lie.