How do you feel about using your personal phone number?

[Pizzaholic33]

I know people who will not share their personal phone number for anything work-related, for a reference, anything at all really.
A colleague created a WhatsApp group for our department but one man refused to be on it, saying it was work and he didn't want his personal phone number being used.
I've known people refuse to be referees for jobs, housing, passports etc. because they don't want their phone number being given.
It's not something that bothers me at all really but everyone's different. Just wondered what people think?

I don't really care who has my number (other than companies who might use it to try and sell me shit), if I don't recognise a number that rings me then I don't answer it, simples. If its important then leave me a message and I'll ring you back.

I also don't understand people who don't answer their door - it's just fucking weird as far as I'm concerned, especially when you then come to mumsnet and go 'oh, somebody just knocked on my door but I didn't answer because I wasn't expecting anyone. Who do you think it could have been?'

If an employer expects me to use a phone for work, they can provide it.

Other than that, I don't care much really, bearing in mind I only answer numbers I recognise, all the others go to answer phone.

@MedSchoolRat
I’ve worked in 2 nhs trusts and many of the community based staff (district nurse type role) have mobiles.
currently I’ve got a decent iPhone previously it was a Nokia smartphone.
IT can monitor our usage such as data - we have to use wifi where available.
sometimes I have to tether my laptop to it for example if I am in a clinical meeting and need to access patient notes.

in my role we had mobiles before people routinely had personal mobiles (I’m not young!) so on occasion we might need to call the base for support or with a query,
so it was/still is kind of a safety device/PPE this was before smartphones etc.

things I use it for including calling patients if I am going to be very early or late, calling patients if they don’t answer the door. Checking work emails as I spend hours on the road. There are no rules afaik about having a screen protector etc. it only has to be on during rostered hours. If a manager or colleague calls me then I would tell the patient it was the base needing to get hold of me and answer it. They might call for example if they had some concerns about the safety of the visit or if one of my clients had cancelled.

If my work want to contact me they can email or buy me a work phone. I've never given my personal number out

@MedSchoolRat our work phones are low cost android smart phones. Bought in large numbers so they got a better deal, which comes with insurance and a data allowance.
Yes it's expected that your phone will stay on during your hours of work, but just as people sending an email wouldn't be too concerned about getting an immediate response, people generally accept that if you don't answer straight away then it's because you're busy doing something. We are actively encouraged to turn our phones off outside of work hours so that we cannot be contacted.
Our data managers manage anything to do with our phones, so yes you will be contacted if you have gone over your data allowance and they will want to know why. They also pay the phone bill so any random phone charges not covered in the contract will also land you with some questions e.g. calling numbers abroad. Its expected that we would only have work related apps on our phones, although no one ever checks.
The phones also came in a case and we are expected to look after them but there aren't any rules about where to store them etc. Obviously if we damaged one due to carelessness then we would have to compensate them for that but I don't think I've ever heard of someone having to do that.

My husband uses his personal phone for work. He was offered a company phone, but his personal is set exactly for his disability, and he doesn't want the faff of resetting a new phone and different user system.

He isn't client facing and uses the business app for messages. Not his personal number.

2 or 3 colleagues have his personal number for personal reasons. They don't talk work on WhatsApp. He doesn't check is work app when off.

Very, very rarely he needs to answer something when off and then they have to wait.

I was just about to say the same thing. 😂😂

I freely give out my phone number, with no issues at all. MN is a whole other world.

This!! I have the work numbers of the people I work with (only casual work now), they have mine - so what? One of them texted me earlier to see if I can cover her lunch break on Monday.

If a number I don't recognise rings then I also don't answer, and if they don't leave a message I don't get back to them - it's really quite simple.

Don't get me started on the not answering doors - it's just plain weird!!!

Completely agree. If I don't recognize a number (or at least the area code) I don't pick up. NBD.

Im just not terribly precious about the whole home-work division either. If someone from work has my personal cell, so what? Either pick up or don't.

I usually will only answer a number I know and let the rest go to vm. I don't see the point of being precious about it, as it's the main way to get hold of me and I've had this number for so long thousands must have it!

It kind of negates the point of WhatsApp (in that it is a quick and convenient communication tool) but WhatsApp is a NICS (number independent communication service) so it uses your mobile number as an identifier, the message is not actually sent to your mobile number in the way a phone call or text message is.

There are ways to use WhatsApp without using your mpbile. But it is a bit convoluted and as I said, kind of defeats the point of WhatsApp.

no work phone here and I am expected to be able to use my own phone for work. For instance we have two factor authentication so I can’t even log onto the work computer system without getting a code text to my phone. I have to phone people and there are no longer any desk phones so I have to use my mobile to make work calls.

I was added to a work WhatsApp group (leaders in a school). I left as I didn’t consent to it and they must have got my number from my application. It’s slipery slope when personal phone is used to contact at all hours.

We have work meetings, sometimes (rarely) abroad, sometimes in the evenings, walking around foreign cities. Sometimes plans change last minute.

So if I had a work mobile, it would need to be on all waking hours, insured to go abroad, robust for travel.

I used to let colleagues have my number but got fed up with being on call when I wasn’t. It was usually ‘just a quick one’ or ‘sorry to bother you but’. Now I’m super strict (sometimes rude) and have strong boundaries.

I work for the local council, all employees who are not office based and require to be lone working have a work mobile. They are Samsung galaxy touch screen phones and they come with a sim. We have a contract with o2 to supply the work phones. There are no requirements in terms of screen protectors/case/passwords. Apps can be downloaded freely and many do have social media on there which isn't a problem.

I don't have a work mobile but I am part of 7 work related what's app groups, all of the work for one team comes through what's app and it's a 24/7 service, but I don't qualify for a phone. But honestly I don't mind at all, I don't mind anyone having my number. I mute some of the chats on my day off but leave some of them as I like to know what's happening and will still help when I can.

The amount of harassment and disruption you can get if the wrong people get hold of your phone number. I have had "three mobile" ring me up 10 times a day. When I asked them to stop, and told them I can't turn my phone off because I am waiting for a call from the hospital, they started ringing up and getting me to stay on the phone longer by pretending to be from the hospital

I'm also bookings manager for our church buildings.

I had a booking where someone lost their deposit (damaged the brand new stage curtains, didn't clean up after the event, etc). They weren't happy about losing £200 and kept ringing, texting, emailing, etc. It was at that point I realised that having my number and address visible on the church website wasn't the best idea. I now have a church mobile phone which is on only during office hours and during the times where hirers are in the hall.

Only a few work people have my personal mobile - we use it for chats, messages but not for work.

A few more people at work had it until we changed our work numbers - and they forgot that I now have a direct line. When I got a work query on my personal mobile, I made certain that the person who got it was made aware that this was my personal phone and they should go through the work number

My colleagues have my personal number and we have a WhatsApp group. All except one colleague are allowed my number, she is banned as she is a complete pain in the arse with no boundaries!
If the WhatsApp group starts pinging after work hours I just ignore it if I can't be bothered, very rarely do I need to reply urgently.
Recently we all needed an authenticator app for a customer's website, I put my foot down for that one. I didn't want that being an issue when I was on AL so I won't have that on my personal phone.

Really - so if a phone was lost, they couldn't ensure a password was on, they couldn't track it, or delete data off it, and they can't control the apps on it.

Our work mobiles have mobile device management on it - so we know where they are, what goes on them, can track and delete them - and - well, manage them.

I couldn’t give a shit who has my phone number and I’m In plenty of work WhatsApp groups.

This place is like a parallel universe sometimes 🤣

@cakeorwine no none of them are tracked, if they are lost we ring IT and they block the phone (most of them are password protected but no requirement) IT then order a new one.

We use mobile device management - which does all of that. And much more.
People are in groups - apps can be pushed out, security controlled, location controlled, if a phone gets lost, we can delete it.

We can even tell people if their phone is in their house - if they say they can't find it

We can monitor usage via the provider e.g/ Vodafone - and can impose data allowances and track data use and unusual phone use - e.g. phoning abroad.

I refuse to join work WhatsApp groups etc..... my line manager has my mobile number for emergencies only but no one else at work does. I pay for it, it is my personal phone and nothing to do with work. If they deem it so important that I am contactable during work hours on a mobile they can supply me with a phone. I already have Teams/Zoom and an office landline (routed through an app to come through on my laptop) so enough ways to contact me.