To ask them to pay to replace my phone screen?

[Housekeeperbatcocoa]

Today at work while walking the dogs, one of them knocked it out of my hand. The screen is totally smashed and my phone is unusable. (I don't normally have it out but was trying to answer a call from my GP). I'm a private Housekeeper and walking the dogs is part of my job.

It's not insured - I've never had a phone damaged and tbh since my partner passed, money has been so tight it was an expense I couldn't afford. It's going to be at least £140 to replace the screen. (Google Pixel 6) It had a good case and screen protector but landed on a brick path.

Wibu to ask the family to either pay or claim off their house insurance? I'm using an old one at the moment but it's 3g so can't make calls!

Wow, you've been given a right pasting on here by some. Unpleasant reading.
I think your best bet is to try to get a cheap repair/new screen until someone you know upgrades and can pass on another older model to you. I do agree that your employers aren't really liable for this one. It was an unfortunate accident.

And to those piling in about not taking calls when working, it's not like she's a teacher or conducting brain surgery. Not all jobs are the same and surely the OP knows if it was acceptable/allowable to take a GP's call at the time she did.

Hate MN for threads like this one. Full of people piling in to put the boot in for the sake of it.

You must ask them to pay for it and then come back and tell us what they say. I could do with a laugh!

I don’t think it’s reasonable to ask them to pay.

It’s a risk you take if you choose to use your personal phone for a personal call during the work day. I work in a school, if a child knocked my phone out of my hand on a busy corridor or in the lunch queue and it broke it would be annoying but I wouldn’t dream of asking my employer to pay for it. And if I did ask, I would expect to be told that I have my personal property on site at my own risk.

I wouldn't ask my employers to pay. It was an accident. I might mention that it happened it in conversation and you never know what they may offer, but asking outright will possibly end the working relationship.

I recently paid £60 for my son's iPhone x screen to be replaced so I definitely wouldn't be paying over the odds and would shop about.

Finally, I wouldn't ask an AIBU question on here and be rude to multiple responses 🤷‍♀️

I’m sorry it will be a financial strain to pay for the repair. I do think it’s your own responsibility though. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but you asked for opinions and now you have them.

You chose to have your personal phone out at work - this is on you. As much as I understand why you needed it, it is still on you.

Of course you can’t charge the family!! 🤦‍♀️

I think the most you could say is

”I don’t suppose your insurance would cover it would it? I expect not, but thought it is worth asking just on the off chance”

Then you aren’t directly asking them and it’s up to them to decide what to do.

If you know the dogs are poorly trained they need 100% attention on them. People walking their dogs whilst on their phone often goes hand in hand with their dog being a nuisance to others.

YABU your personal phone, your personal responsibility. Your choice to answer.

No you can’t ask them to fix your phone as while you were doing your job for them a dog knocked your hand. Its your own fault.

I think unless they have specific cover the house insurance then it is unlikely the phone will be covered. One of my children tripped on my laptop cable and knocked it off the table a few years back, there was a specific bit in my insurance that said this would be classed as a mobile product and the damage may not have occurred in the house - therefore the insurance would not cover it. I had to have a specific add on for it to be covered.
As the incident happened outside of the house it is unlikely it would even be covered.

Besides this I really don't think you can ask them to pay for it, I understand this is really frustrating and money is tight but I don't think this is your employers responsibility and is just one of those things you will have to chalk up to experience. You make be able to get a cheap second hand phone on fb market place for a lot less than the £160 to repair yours? Just a thought.

Have you got gadget cover via your bank? My laptop developed a fault and vaguely remembered some sort of cover, got cash towards a new one. Worth checking as quite a few banks etc do this and they do cover phones laptops etc.

If OP works full time, or near full time, for a family managed their household then they should have a decent phone upgraded whenever possible with anti-virus downloaded. There is no way I would have a housekeeper who is not provided with a phone. Probably a car also depending on what they do. This might not be that type of family though.

It's kind that your employers let you use your phone, but that doesn't make it their responsibility. If you are not comfortable with the way the dogs act, look for another job. If my employee approached me with this, I would tell them to jog on and suggest maybe you should stop using your phone whilst working.

I doubt they will claim it on their insurance as their premiums may go up a little because of claiming. You can ask, (if you don't ask you don't get), but i think it's quite cheeky to be honest.
Yes it's not your fault you needed to answer the phone as that's how our GP system works as well, but it's also not their fault that you needed to answer your phone either, and it's not the dogs fault because they aren't human!
Your phone, your responsibility unfortunately.
I was going to ask when the contract was up, as most times you are eligible for early upgrades, but I see it's just sim & was a gift.

It's your personal phone and therefore your responsibility. If I broke my personal phone in my office, I couldn't ask my employer to pay for it? If you are struggling financially then you should consider asking for a pay rise related to inflation.

Change dogs to children and you will see how ridiculous you are.

This is a reasonable way to approach it but I would be prepared for them to say no.

You can ask but I think they legally don't have to give you a penny to repair it. If they do that is a bonus.

It is your phone. Will it be covered by their house insurance? I don't think it will. It may be covered by your insurance.

You can tell them but I don't think they have to or their insurance will cover it.
I may be wrong it is just my opinion.

Their house insurance might not cover your phone, they don’t always cover visitors effects and they may also not have personal possessions cover on there which covers items outside of the home. They may also not have cover for pets damaging things.
so even if you did ask it’s probably unlikely they are covered for your phone.
perhaps claim off your own house insurance?
it’s not a case where they should be paying unfortunately.

Op keeps changing details so I'm a bit 🤔 about the whole thing

The reality is you weren't adequately supervising big unruly dogs because you were distracted by your personal phone call. Therefore it is because you weren't doing your job properly that the damage occurred. So not their responsibility to reimburse you.

Probably not the point but every gun dog I've ever met have been impeccable trained. Guns and unruly dogs don't really go together.

Impeccably