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

[PinkStarAtNight]

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?

I think we work for the same work place.
Productivity, stats, adherence.
It’s all BS

The only time my manager ever phoned me while I was on annual leave was because a member of my team had died unexpectedly. To let me know before I saw it in the paper etc. I was hugely grateful to her for doing so.
Why are they contacting you on WhatsApp if the usual is to ping you a TEAMS message or email? That's odd. Nothing more you can do just now so try to put it out of your mind as best you can and enjoy the rest of your week off.

“Hi, sorry I’m on annual leave until 23/7.”

Why has she even got your mobile?! I wouldn’t dream of using my teams personal numbers. Very bad form.

Unfortunately I expect she is also under a lot of pressure and that will be passed down the food chain.

My old team leader was sacked for something similar - this is a big no-no in most workplaces.

Clearly I am required to provide commentary, that's obviously why she's contacted me. They've said that ultimately the expectation is to handle 4 'enquiries' per hour- these can be calls or emails. Its harder than it sounds for reasons that would take too long to fully explain, but the amount of processes you need to go through after each call/email mean that 4 is not an easy number at all. They've said that they're aware we are new so they don't expect 4 per hour straight away. It's all worked out as percentages. So the productivity target for week 1 is 45% (with 100% being 4 per hour) and then each week the target increases each week until you slowly build up to a target of 100% by the end of probation.

Like I said on week 1 I was actually at 68% so she was praising me for 'smashing' my target of 45. I guess she's now concerned that its dropped the next week, but I don't know off the top of my head what the target was for week 2 - so I'm unlear whether I've actually missed the target for week 2, or simply slipped from what I was previously performing at. Bearing in mind that I'm new though, I just can't see how it was seen as something urgent enough to disturb my A/L and make me spend the rest of it worrying about my stats...I mean surely the point of weekends/days off/annual leave is that you need a physical break from working, but also a mental break from thinking about things like this?

Well it was on WhatsApp so yes.

So she rang you on your personal mobile and then WhatsApped you as well on your personal mobile?

Personally I would just send a message back saying On Holiday.

And then enjoy your holiday.

Sounds like you work in the same place as me - seriously. I wouldn't worry about it, the team leaders are under pressure to up performance in their teams are will be expected to address poor performance. There was probably a lot of people in your team who didn't hit last week's target and he/she just sent everyone a message and forgot you were on leave. I find that some TL's only use teams and others will use whatsapp or e mails.

They just want to make a note that they spoke to you and you explained that you had taken some long or difficult calls last week. Don't give it a moment's thought until you get back.

Enjoy the rest of your leave!

Two issues.

1. No once you've said you're on leave and proved it with email/HR that should be the end of it.

1. It sounds like they didn't think through the impact approving your annual leave would have. Tbh I expect you lost momentum after the training if you've gone on leave so soon after. I would expect to be told your stats need to improve or you're out. But that's fine, just meet your targets.

Why are they contacting you on WhatsApp if the usual is to ping you a TEAMS message or email? That's odd.

This is what's making me think that she was fully aware I'm on A/L and didn't make a mistake. If I was working, TEAMS would always be the method of contact. The way she went straight to WhatsApp makes me think she knew I was on A/L and so wouldn't see a message or call on Teams, because I wouldn't be logged onto my work laptop.

The trick seems to do a crap job with the calls / emails but just do enough to get by.

So you hit your target but the customer gets a crap service.

The unintended consequences of targets. You just need to play the targets.

I don't answer my phone on my lunch break let alone annual leave!

Starting this thread and all the headspace it's taken up before you got to even writing it has probably taken more out of your holiday than replying to her would have done.

I think just a message saying you'll reply after annual leave is fine and more than defensible, but it's never going to be completely without risk because not all bosses are reasonable and rational.

Hopefully she will reply with a short apology and you can stop worrying about until after your holiday.

You're team leader is either really rubbish or she has rubbish managers who pressure her from above.

The point of annual leave is to rest and recharge your batteries so that you can go back to work refreshed and give your best. Stressing out a relatively new member of staff at the beginning of a week's annual leave is shit management and counterproductive.

The company team leader training isn't up to much or they have taken some crap advice about how to maximise productivity. It's no wonder so many people are miserable at work.

You may have to bite your tongue but I'd be really pissed off. Mute your WhatsApp and enjoy your week.

They shouldn't be contacting you during your annual leave and especially not on your personal mobile. Do you have them added on a personal level on your WhatsApp or is it a work WhatsApp? For example, I removed myself from a work WhatsApp group but I have colleagues and managers on my personal WhatsApp who I am also friends with. None of them would contact me about work related issues though.
You should just completely ignore it. If you respond you're running the risk of signalling that you will be available 24/7 whenever they need you to be. If it is about performance, I can only see that conversation ruining the rest of your holiday anyway.

I was a team manager for many years. I would only ever contact someone on leave if it was absolutely critical.
The only time I was ever contacted on leave was to tell me my application for voluntary redundancy had been unsuccessful- I was sat in a sun lounger in Kefalonia!

Please don’t spend your week off stressing OP. You’ve done the right thing now try and forget and enjoy your time off.

Sorry, couldn't read all of your post, after first paragraph was enough for me to think! Do not read, have access to your work emails when on AL, trust an old monkey (I am older than my profile name implies), remember the old adage, if you die tomorrow, they will have you replaced, well obvs I haven't died but they replaced me with no time, despite them (4 times in 10 years) implying it was for economical reasons, yeah my arse!!! Oh and I have bad news for all of us galls, as we get older, we get fuckeder (If I can create that word, LOL) good luck. work is fucked for women, got kids, you're fucked, you got no kids' you're fucked, we live in a society which is led by obnoxious men. 😫
Oh, but they are not all fuckers, I managed to marry one, after few year of badduns, but hey not all is shite 😜

Thank you for all the supportive replies. I will really try to remember everything people have said re: not letting it ruin the whole week of leave, as it has kind of ruined my first day. I do have anxiety so definitely overthink a lot and I'm aware that its my responsibility to take control of this and not allow this to take over my week.

I am really worried about how my future looks at this place, and feel I should start looking for other jobs now. And I'm almost 100% convinced that I'll log on Monday morning to find she's scheduled me in for a one to one at 9am. I will have to think about how to stay calm whilst explaining why I feel my stats have dropped, and what to say if she brings up the issue about me not calling her today.

I mean do think she will talk to me about that?? Im thinking maybe I should have a think and write some notes of what to respond with, so I feel prepared for her bringing it up?

I work in a similar place and would just reply saying "on leave, catch up when I'm back"

My out of office is on and I've still had 25 emails, I did reply to 3 as they were fairly time critical but on min wage I'm doing no more than that! (WFH)

Oh boy, yes.

I worked for a big credit card company around the time of the millenium and we had all sorts of targets about calls handled and time "in wrap" (where you have to pause new calls coming through to 'wrap up' whatever you were doing with the last call).

I worked my arse off in that team and answered more calls than anyone else (often double) and received the team incentive payment every month.

But I would also do shifty stuff like answer the call and immediately put the caller on hold so I could 'wrap up' the last call if I needed to.

Meh.

Stats wise I would just explain what you've said here
We have stats for wrap, calls handled, personal time etc. If I've gone over on say my personal time I will ping my manager an email to say "sorry went over personal time today, not feeling great/other reason" or if I know I'm going to be sat in email for ages I'll send one saying "typing up these notes and emailing X/Y/Z so might be a few mins in email"
Calls handled is never an issue as I do twice as many as anyone else

The job isn't for you.

Channel your anxious energy into productively finding something that is for you.

Stop worrying about her, she's on a hiding to a bullying report if she pushes this.

They shouldn't be contacting you on annual leave, this is completely unnecessary. I'd be inclined to block the number, there's no need to be contacting you on your personal number, if they need to reach you they can through teams when you are in work. You haven't done anything wrong replying saying you are on A/L, I'd have been inclined to completely ignore it.

If she brings it up I'd just tell her you were on annual leave and say nothing further. Let her find a way of justifying why you owe her your time for a discussion about stats when you are on leave.

You've already described here, the challenges you faced with longer calls during your second week which explain why your stats were down so that's what you tell her. I'm older and longer in the tooth too and I would put the ball back in her court rather that meekly try to justify yourself.I presume your calls are recorded so I would ask her to review the ones that took you longer and make suggestions about what you can do differently.