Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Team Leader tried to contact me during my annual leave - did I do the right thing?

95 replies

PinkStarAtNight · 17/07/2023 21:29

So I posted last week I think about micromanagement in my call centre job and described how awful I'm finding it. It just got worse.

So I'm on annual leave this week, 17th July-23rd July. Booked weeks ago, all authorised and showing on my schedule so no confusion about whether or not I'm actually meant to be off work. I'm definitely on AL.

This afternoon I noticed a message on WhatsApp from my team leader, that had come in at 16:49, saying 'Hi Pink, hope all's well, could you give me a call as soon as you're free please?' I then noticed I'd had a missed call from her at 16:48. I was a bit confused and so was my boyfriend. He then made me doubt myself by saying 'are you sure you're definitely on annual leave and haven't got the dates wrong??' so I logged onto my work laptop and checked my schedule on the HR site, yep all there and approved, I'm definitely on AL. I then checked my work emails and there was one from team leader with the subject 'Last week's stats' that was sent at 16:26 and said that she had just been checking my stats and she has noticed they have dropped since the previous week - is there a reason for this? Can you think of any support we can put in place for you?

So obviously she was wanting me to call her to discuss my stats. I did think maybe she has forgotten I'm on annual leave...but I also logged onto Teams and there were no messages or calls from her on there, and Teams is ALWAYS the way that she would contact me in the first instance. We got told this during induction, that your manager will always reach out to you on Teams. I think the only reason she would avoid Teams and use WhatsApp is because she knew I wasn't working so wouldn't be logged on and see anything on Teams.

My boyfriend told me not to call her, that its completely unacceptable for her to be trying to call me about my stats when I'm not working and that I need to make it clear (in a polite/friendly way) that I'm not ok with that. So he suggested I send her an email explaining that I'm on AL and not really available. So I did...I tried to make it polite and friendly. I said that I wasn't sure whether maybe she had forgotten I'm actually on A/L and that I'm a bit busy this evening and have plans all week because I'm on holiday so is it OK if we have a catch up when I'm back in work?

I'm now really worried that this was the wrong thing to do and she's going to hate me for it and find a way to end my contract. Its a temp contract with a probation period which ends middle of November and whether or not you get kept on depends on your performance, your stats, your adherence, your compliance with the lateness and absence policy etc...boyfriend said they can't fire me for not being available on my annual leave and I haven't had any lateness or absences, but as she's just said my stats have dropped...I'm worried she's going to have me down in the bad books and be on the look out for an official reason to end the contract early, and I'm guessing she definitely won't be extending the contract after November. I suppose I don't really want to keep working here anyway, but then again I need a job and I'm now second guessing myself thinking it was stupid to 'put my foot down' and send that email basically saying I won't be available for calls this week, when really I need to keep this job.

I've worked in other call centres before that have been awful for all the normal reasons, but never ever had one that has called/messaged/emailed me when on my days off or during annual leave. I thought that was just a no no for all companies...or AIBU and should have agreed to call her and discuss my stats?

Also just to answer any questions about stats before people ask... I'm new to the job, only been doing it 2 weeks (after 4 week training and a pre-booked hol last month) so the stats she's referring to are my stats for 2nd week. In my first 1:1 she was gushing with praise because the target for week 1 was set at 45% productivity and I had actually come out at 68%. The email says that last week (my second week) dropped to 54% productivity. I think this is because I had 4 calls last week that ended up being really long and complicated and the person was wanting to complain, because I'm new I had to call the support line for help with them and even they had to go consult someone else, then come back to me and explain what I needed to say/do and then I had to go back to the callers, talk through everything, then write out lengthy emails to different departments and go through lots of processes...so I think that's why my stats have dropped, because they're based on how many calls you take per hour. Its fine for her to want to talk through this, but surely not when I'm on pre-planned annual leave???

I've been left feeling really stressed and upset by this and wondering what to do now. Obviously dreading next Monday. So...AIBU?

OP posts:

Flamingoes12 · 17/07/2023 21:32

Well you won’t know what she wanted until you speak to her so yes I’d have answered. If it was about stats I’d have said sorry now isn’t a good time, we can discuss when I’m back in the office.

maybe give her a call back? If she wants to discuss stats just say it’s a quick call as you’re out at the moment….

blueluce85 · 17/07/2023 21:32

Work are not actually allowed to contact you for work during AL

LumpyPumpkin · 17/07/2023 21:34

Please ignore previous commenter. Don't call her. Absolutely not. You are not being paid to deal with work, you are on annual leave. I would mute your messages from her for now and not think about it till your leave is over. It was entirely unacceptable for her to message you while you're off on leave.

If you engage in conversation now, this sort of thing will only keep happening whenever you take time off.

DinnaeFashYersel · 17/07/2023 21:35

blueluce85 · 17/07/2023 21:32

Work are not actually allowed to contact you for work during AL

There's nothing to stop them but in this case it's not reasonable.

OP mute your WhatsApp and enjoy the rest of your break. There's no need to respond any further than you have already.

Instawars · 17/07/2023 21:36

if your numbers are off are you expected to provide commentary? Whilst “they shouldn’t contact you on annual leave” my manager would alway give me a head up so I could avert an oncoming shit storm.

yes, by the book they probably shouldn’t contact you- could your manager be wanting to prevent someone senior from seeing you haven’t hit targets in a probationary period for no reason?

Bromptotoo · 17/07/2023 21:38

Unfortunately or not I've no experience of modern work practice ouwith the public/charitable sectors. But in either of those places contacting somebody on leave was, barring litteral life/death situations, an absolute no no.

In your shoes I'd let the sender know you'd seen their message but tell them that, unless life/death as above you'll discuss on return.

drpet49 · 17/07/2023 21:38

“My boyfriend told me not to call her, that its completely unacceptable for her to be trying to call me about my stats when I'm not working and that I need to make it clear (in a polite/friendly way) that I'm not ok with that. So he suggested I send her an email explaining that I'm on AL and not really available.”

^I completely agree with your boyfriend and I would have sent that email too.

Neodymium · 17/07/2023 21:38

How can you be on leave after working there for 3 weeks?

WomblingTree86 · 17/07/2023 21:42

Good grief. You have absolutely done the right thing to point out you are on annual leave. It should have been obvious to the team leader. Don't answer any more messages.

NoAprilFool · 17/07/2023 21:42

Neodymium · 17/07/2023 21:38

How can you be on leave after working there for 3 weeks?

Holiday booked before taking the job maybe? Not unusual.

Hufflepods · 17/07/2023 21:43

This is literally a non issue. She contacted you about something non urgent, not knowing you were on annual leave and then you let her know you were off.

Offyoupoplove · 17/07/2023 21:43

They can let you go for any reason under 2years, so your boyfriend is wrong about that.

BUT BUT BUT he is absolutely right that this is really odd behaviour. I’ve only contacted someone on AL once as a manager in 15years, and that was because they had failed to do an essential and time sensitive bit of handover. It couldn’t wait and should have been done before they left. However that is a massive exception to the rule that you don’t contact people on AL.

They sound like an awful employer so if I were you I’d find a new job anyway, nothing to do with what they think of you but what you think of them!

saraclara · 17/07/2023 21:44

Do you not have an email autoreply saying that you're on leave?

saraclara · 17/07/2023 21:44

Ah, sorry. Just saw it was WhatsApp

FoodFann · 17/07/2023 21:49

Bless you. She’s really got in your head. I’d print screen the authorised AL, and email it to her, copy in HR and request for the AL to be altered to reflect the disruption caused by manager’s contact during what should be your protected time off. Receiving your minimal Annual leave is a legal requirement, and your employer can’t dick about like this.

Your boss hasn’t got a leg to stand on, it’s bordering on harassment and I’m pretty sure it’s illegal. Get some impartial advice, but deffo print screen your evidence and copy HR and your boss’s boss in. Good luck to you.

P.s. Get yourself back on jobsite!

SharpLily · 17/07/2023 21:49

You're way overthinking this.

Your employer shouldn't have contacted you unless about something urgent. Very bad form.
If there is a discussion about your stats when you return, explain it as you did to us.
You have a long, long time until Novermber in which to make up your performance or decide you don't care because you don't want to work in such a grim place anyway.

Do NOT let this cast a shadow over your holiday.

orangeleavesinautumn · 17/07/2023 21:52

Block her and stop stressing and enjoy your leave.

TrueScrumptious · 17/07/2023 21:55

She should not have contacted you on your AL. Full stop. It would need to be something critical, and this definitely wasn’t. I wouldn’t have responded at all. Can you mute the WhatsApp chat?

Liketoesforeyes · 17/07/2023 21:56

Tell her to bugger off.

Bouncyball23 · 17/07/2023 21:57

Neodymium · 17/07/2023 21:38

How can you be on leave after working there for 3 weeks?

Pretty easy, tell them when asked in interview that you have a holiday booked. I've not had an interview where I haven't been asked about any upcoming holidays.

Original poster

PinkStarAtNight · 17/07/2023 21:59

Neodymium · 17/07/2023 21:38

How can you be on leave after working there for 3 weeks?

I've actually been employed by them for 8 weeks. But there is a long training period due to the job being quite complex and there's a lot to learn, so I have only been doing the actual role for 2 weeks. But A/L entitlement starts from day 1 - you get given a certain amount of A/L hours that you're entitled to for the six month contract and you can book and take as much as you want, as soon as you want...if your contract were to end early and you had taken more annual leave than you had 'earned' through amount of months worked, you would simply owe them the equivalent in £££ and it would be taken out of your final paycheck. That's how its been explained to us anyway and I've always been told the same in every job I've had, so I don't think it's that unusual.

OP posts:

lavenderlou · 17/07/2023 21:59

No you don't need to reply on annual leave unless you are in a mega well-paid very important job. In future I would mute all work contacts while on AL.

Leftbutcameback · 17/07/2023 22:05

You need to start as you mean to go on otherwise work will always take advantage, so your boyfriend is right. Your email is fine, try and forget about it until next week.

ElizaWinter · 17/07/2023 22:05

I know it's too late but I think I would have replied with - 'is everything ok? Can we chat when I get back?', rather than a long email.

Anyway, I think it's ok to lay your stall out and let it be known you don't like to be contacted outside of work.

cakeorwine · 17/07/2023 22:08

Did she contact you on your personal mobile?

Flip

1 2 3 4