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?

Just tell them that you don't want them to contact you on your personal phone. Then block them.

Oops sorry "losers" not "lovers" lol

No one's suggesting she says that.

No need for lies - and what is a "white lie" here anyway?

I once had an employer call me on a Saturday night on my personal phone. I just ignored it (after lots of similar calls I'd just had enough) and he actually challenged me about it on the Monday, at which point I was prepared to say I wasn't taking calls out of hours. For some reason he seemed a bit gobsmacked and this resolved the issue. Not sure if it even occurred to him that this was bad etiquette.

I would just ignore if it's in your personal time, and reply via email or messenger instead if it's not. If anyone asks why there's your chance to explain

Just ignore. Don't pick up the phone if it's someone you don't know.

You can block the people you know already have it, just ignore the call.

A message is more tricky because just receiving it gets into your headspace, I have had it with personal emails on holiday when I was freelancing. Not sure if you can mute altogether so you just don't see messages?

I missed an "otherwise" before "just ignore the call"

I would be honest and say you like to keep your personal life separate. Or, ask them how you will be paid for the hour you worked, even if it was a 30 second WhatsApp.

It depends on your level and type of job. I could not get away with saying my personal phone number is off limits or that I can’t be contacted outside of work hours.

the problem lies with colleagues who don’t respect that this should be done exceedingly sparingly. I really only have one who violates the etiquette on this. If he contacts me about something that can wait, I am just firm that I won’t be acting until I am scheduled to be back at work. He is never going to stop though. He is far too high ranking and powerful to be reprimanded and too set in his ways to listen to the clear feedback I am giving him.

Ignore, and don’t action anything they ask for via your personal phone.

If they pester you, then you say “oh I don’t use my phone for work stuff- send me an email next time, then I’ll remember when I’m at work.”

Job done.

I think it’s fair enough to message them both and say that you’d rather your personal phone number didn’t get leaked out across the company more widely so could they please
refrain from giving it out.

can’t you just say something along the lines of- “I’m trying to be aware of keeping work and home life separate and getting a healthy work life balance. So I want to only have work communication via work devices and not my personal devices.”

I had the same issue not too long ago as a manager and I bought it up at a team meeting and suggested we all be wary of how we communicate with eachother so we respect each others home time. It’s easy to slip into bad habits. They might appreciate you saying something as it might make them mindful of their boundaries too.

Just say if you get a WhatsApp “I don’t like to use WhatsApp for work correspondence, do you mind popping it in an email”

I honestly don't get why it's so hard to just say what you mean?

Well I know that I had to write to everyone to gain permission to give our personal mobile numbers for work purposes (company phones are available but some choose to use their personal one instead )

I would simply not answer/respond. Definitely delete them from WhatsApp.

WhatsApp has an archive function which basically hides the profile from the main list until you get a message. Stops you from seeing their face.

Just tell them you prefere to keep your personal devices personal and work related thing within work hours. Archive the past conversations so you won't see them unless you choose to. If they don't respect boundaries block them. Don't lie about numbers changing. Even people who don't have the same boundaries can respect them.

Don't answer the calls and reply to any messages via work email

If they ask something outside work hours. Get back to them the following day via email and refer how they contacted you after work hours.

Get a payg sim and tell them you changed your number. Then close it down.

Block them at evenings and weekends and say you turn your phone off

DD is working for me at moment, I've told her to send me emails not use FBk Msgr (she keeps forgetting & I keep saying it swiftly & ignoring what she said otherwise). That's what I'd do with colleagues, Say send me a msg to appropriate channel which I will deal with at appropriate time.

Without your consent means that the manager who shared your number has breached gdpr.

Your personal number is often noted in HR for emergencies only and unless you give consent, no one is permitted to disclose this. Regardless of whether you have chosen to communicate via message with one manager or not.

I would send an email to the first manager stating to remove your personal mobile number from their communications and be reminded that if they wish to contact you out of hours then you will need to be paid overtime.

You could also remind them that sharing personal numbers without consent is breaching GDPR and then state that if contact continues outside of working hours you will have no other option but to raise a grievance.

Your time is precious. Having a work-life balance is important.

You have limited options here.

1. Tell them - which you’re too scared to do.
2. Change your number - which doesn’t solve the main issue.
3. Ignore and only reply or answer during work hours. Mute them ooo so you don’t get notifications during personal time or even Archive the chats possibly so you don’t see them in the list

I think you’re looking for an answer that doesn’t exist tbh.

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. It's difficult to tell them to delete my number as I work very closely in a small room with my manager for 8 hours a day and want to avoid causing an awkward atmosphere if possible.

I'm going to ignore future messages, and then if asked about it I'll just say I don't routinely check my phone and to email next time.

tell them not to contact you on your mobile, and block them