Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

On annual leave - colleagues messaging

154 replies

Bunny2021 · 22/03/2023 08:58

My first AIBU - please be gentle 😂

I’m on annual leave this week as I had holiday days I needed to use up before the end of the month. I haven’t gone away anywhere other than visiting family Monday and Tuesday.

Yesterday my boss sent me a WhatsApp on my personal phone asking about a document that had corrupted and would I be able to go back in to redact the information and resend. He finished the message with “if you can’t, not to worry I will do it tomorrow”. I did it last night.

This morning at 8:30 - so outside of normal working hours - another colleague has messaged (same level as me) asking for a call today to talk him through a contract that could probably wait until Monday. If not, my boss has my notes from when I went on mat leave that covered this contract. This message has really annoyed me. I think because it’s before our usual working day (which starts at 9:00).

YABU - it’s a quick message and they only want to chat for 5 mins.
YANBU - you’re on annual leave and it’s unacceptable to be messaging at 8:30 on your day off.

OP posts:
AxolotlEars · 22/03/2023 10:35

I wouldn't message anyone while they were on holiday. I wouldn't have replied to my boss

Arou · 22/03/2023 10:36

It’s unpaid overtime. Ignore all messages and enjoy your time off. So rude IMO even if they asked nicely that would really piss me off. Enjoy your time off and respect your own time even if no one else does - they will soon learn

Marmite27 · 22/03/2023 10:37

Unless it’s along the lines of, we’re going out to lunch next week when you’re back, but we have to book today - do you want to come? I’d be ignoring any messages.

rwalker · 22/03/2023 10:38

I think there’s nothing wrong with messaging
the only time I would have a problem is it they expected me to action it

sometimes I do sometimes I don’t

just ignore or mute them if u don’t want to be contacted

cocksstrideintheevening · 22/03/2023 10:43

It really does depend on your role and what you get as a salary. I work for an SME, there's only me that does my role and whilst I can handover to a colleague there I some things that crop up that they need an answer to / help with and I happily do this. It goes both ways though if I ooo for someone else they are always contactable if needed too.

If I was asked to redact a document when on holiday I'd be mightily pissed off though, anyone can do that.

Cherrysoup · 22/03/2023 10:45

Completely ignore. You’re on leave, fgs!

Frosty1000 · 22/03/2023 10:46

I think your colleagues are very unreasonable contacting you when you're off. You could be out of the country on holiday so deffo ignore or just respond and say you'll do it Monday when you return.

Howdoyoulikeyoureggsinthemorning · 22/03/2023 10:48

MrsPinkCock · 22/03/2023 09:14

Maybe it’s industry specific but I find it incredibly odd when people on mumsnet refuse to talk to their colleagues outside office hours. In the real world, most of us are team players and would be happy to give our colleagues five minutes of our time (as long as they asked politely).

People wouldn’t last five minutes in my profession if they expected work to be a bog standard 9-5 and weren’t prepared to answer the odd text or call on leave or at night.

Working a full day on leave? No. A quick 5 minute phone call to make your colleagues life a bit easier and help work to run more smoothly - totally fine IMO.

This level of martyrdom is what I'd expect from junior staff or interns climbing the career ladder, but not senior staff. Seniors have earned their rights to set boundaries from years of quality service. Any company that doesn't respect that isn't worth working for.

starfishmummy · 22/03/2023 10:51

If you are on leave, you're on leave in my book unless your work is such that you are needed in times of national emergency.

Years ago I temped in the tax office. Our leave forms had to be completed with contact details of where we would be in case we were needed in the event of a tax emergency!!

Spidey66 · 22/03/2023 10:54

MrsPinkCock · 22/03/2023 09:14

Maybe it’s industry specific but I find it incredibly odd when people on mumsnet refuse to talk to their colleagues outside office hours. In the real world, most of us are team players and would be happy to give our colleagues five minutes of our time (as long as they asked politely).

People wouldn’t last five minutes in my profession if they expected work to be a bog standard 9-5 and weren’t prepared to answer the odd text or call on leave or at night.

Working a full day on leave? No. A quick 5 minute phone call to make your colleagues life a bit easier and help work to run more smoothly - totally fine IMO.

I'm in the real world. When I'm on AL my work phone is off and there's an out of office on my emails. Try it some time!

Allblackeverythingalways · 22/03/2023 11:08

Spidey66 · 22/03/2023 10:54

I'm in the real world. When I'm on AL my work phone is off and there's an out of office on my emails. Try it some time!

Show quote history

Another real worlder here!
I actually socialise with some colleagues and we still manage to not talk shop outside of office hours!

thecatsthecats · 22/03/2023 11:19

MrsPinkCock · 22/03/2023 09:14

Maybe it’s industry specific but I find it incredibly odd when people on mumsnet refuse to talk to their colleagues outside office hours. In the real world, most of us are team players and would be happy to give our colleagues five minutes of our time (as long as they asked politely).

People wouldn’t last five minutes in my profession if they expected work to be a bog standard 9-5 and weren’t prepared to answer the odd text or call on leave or at night.

Working a full day on leave? No. A quick 5 minute phone call to make your colleagues life a bit easier and help work to run more smoothly - totally fine IMO.

What an odious interpretation of the phrase "team player".

Being a good team player means not putting a burden on someone when a little effort and initiative from yourself will solve the problem. Her boss is being a bad team player expecting her to pick up something he literally admits he can sort himself.

My sister teaches 8 year olds who understand this.

bendmeoverbackwards · 22/03/2023 11:27

Why do your colleagues have your personal number? Mine don’t, only my work phone.

Verylongtime · 22/03/2023 11:30

Yes, colleagues don’t have access to our personal phone numbers. We don’t have work phones. It would have to be escalated to a duty manager who would contact you in an emergency situation.

rookiemere · 22/03/2023 11:33

I find my work stressful and if it's a message from somebody outside of work hours my heart rate elevates and I feel anxious. I avoid going into Teams and emails when I'm not paid for that very tea.

I am at a level where it would be reasonable to contact me if it's something urgent, but I wouldn't be expecting non critical WhatsApp messages on annual leave.

Newestname002 · 22/03/2023 11:40

I really hated having my time off interrupted by work colleagues (and brig mentally "switched on" again for however long, or the expectation that I might even be available. I learned to put an out of office message on my business mobile and desk phones and laptop and never gave out my personal numbers. I would certainly mute/block work colleagues from the personal mobile, OP. 🌹

Mumof1andacat · 22/03/2023 11:45

You say no. You are on leave

ImAvingOops · 22/03/2023 11:47

The thing is, it's easier for them to disturb you that it is to work out the issue for themselves. So if you allow yourself to be available, they'll always turn to you first. So be less available and they'll learn to solve their own problems. No one is indispensable and I guarantee that if you disappeared tomorrow, someone else would soon step in and be doing your job!

I tell my husband this but he's yet to pay any attention - which is why he's stressed and knackered.

Dozycuntlaters · 22/03/2023 11:52

I don't have a problem with my colleagues contacting me when I'm on leave although they will only do that if they absolutely have to. The way I look at it, if you are more amenable when they need you, they will be the same. Hopefully. But then I work for a tiny company (only three of us) so I guess it depends on the dynamics of your employee and are they good in other ways. Tit for tat and all that.

WindUpPenguin · 22/03/2023 11:54

This wouldn't happen at my place of work for issues like these. I might be contacted in an absolute emergency but it would only be in a national situation, and then I would probably see the news and contact work asking if I was needed. I work in the public sector, and this is the upside of having a lower salary than the private sector.

Zola1 · 22/03/2023 11:55

Again depends on your role. I'm off sick, signed off by GP, and my boss is asking me to log on to send her a couple of things. It's because no one else has access to them and the worker covering me needs them.
Generally if I'm on leave znd someone needs advice or a decision on something, I ask them to wait until I return or ask someone else.

QuackMooBaaOink · 22/03/2023 11:56

YANBU for thinking they shouldn't be contacting you,
YABU - for bloody doing it! A standard response of "I'm on annual leave from this date to this date but will be happy to action this upon my return to work on this date".
End of conversation.

FortyFacedFuckers · 22/03/2023 11:56

My boss used to do this but I just don't reply until I am back at work, they have got the hint & hardly do it anymore

harriethoyle · 22/03/2023 11:58

Absolutely unreasonable of them. I have always had very firm boundaries around this you have to preserve a work life balance. Your boss should have known better.

Heronwatcher · 22/03/2023 12:01

I am a firm believer that we have to find a level we are prepared to work at and then establish boundaries.

Personally people know they can contact me in an emergency but I am happy to push back politely if I think they’ve misjudged it- so say, “Hi X, not sure if you’re aware I am on leave today but no problem to discuss on Monday.” If it’s urgent they can either find someone else or tell you why it needs doing urgently.

As a manager I would say that I much prefer managing people who can push back appropriately than people who take it all on and then either complain to me or reach burnout etc

Swipe left for the next trending thread