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?

If they want me to be contactable by phone for my job, they can provide the phone and pay for the contract. The same goes for laptops and anything required to WFH or be contactable outside normal hours.

I don't see why I should support them financially by providing my own equipment.

I'm fine with it.
If its not something i want to engage with, phones are even easier to put down than doors are to shut.

you could and then have your card marked by management for not being a ‘team player’ and suffer all the associated crap that goes with it and the endless nagging about accepting being in the group as you haven’t got a good reason to say no.

Me saying I don’t use my phone - that I pay for - for business use is a good reason to say no. If being part of a WhatsApp group is business critical they can provide the equipment to facilitate that.

I work in an area where clear boundaries between work and home are pretty essential, I wouldn’t work for an employer who didn’t understand that or who demanded that I be available to my team (via a WhatsApp group) out of my working hours.

@Jellycatspyjamas not everyone is working in such a good environment or sector.

I don't understand the hate on this site for people (like me) that don't just fling open their doors to random strangers. I live alone and I only open the door to people I know or tradesmen/delivery drivers or something else that was really obvious.

The alternative is opening the door to someone who wants to sell me something or convert me to a religion whilst keeping me on my doorstep for half an hour in the cold. Or worse still, someone who doesn't exactly have my best interests in mind!

Sure, I suppose I could miss out on a call from the Premium Bonds woman telling me I've won a million quid but I guess they'll write.

The alternative is opening the door to someone who wants to sell me something or convert me to a religion whilst keeping me on my doorstep for half an hour in the cold. Or worse still, someone who doesn't exactly have my best interests in mind!

I just say, "sorry, I'm busy, goodbye," and close the door. You don't have to keep speaking to them for half an hour.

I'm protective of my personal number. I'd be incredibly stubborn if there was an expectation that I did share. I've made complaints when people have shared my email address (through a group message) or telephone number. I've also had a run in when my details where displayed publicly on a Birthday List. My manager seemed to think it was resolved by writing next to my name 'no celebration or gifts requested'.

My housing association who i have the misfortune to rent from has my OLD mobile number which is still active but charger has to plugged in for it to work as battery is fucked so this phone stays in the flat

They dont and wont have my current number because i dont want it passed to sub contractor after sub contractor after sub contractor

No, you shouldn't need a burner phone. That's a nice example of victim blaming

If your personal phone number is available, then there will always be those who are unaware when you are on holiday and call you. Or even outside your working hours. Then claim what they are asking for will only take a couple of minutes.

Apart from social housing tenants who are expected to let all and sundry in with no notice and be grateful

Who's the victim? What's the crime? Attempting to sell shit to someone who isn't interested and who could hang up at any time? Call the Feds!?!?!?

Fuck me, Peak MN right here.

Or opening your door to someone who needs help...

OMG. Your colleagues now know when your birthday is?

I hope you took someone somewhere to a disciplinary hearing. Who knows what they could do?

It's tricky. It's not just your own boundaries but other people's to deal with. I prefer work contact on my personal number to be for emergency only. I'm quite solid with that boundary. My current workplace is mostly okay but I think that's because I just haven't participated in the WhatsApp group or messaged anyone a funny meme or something so they don't often message me.

People who don't give out their personal number to work, I guess you don't work in retail or something that needs a specific number of people (e.g childcare). How is the manager meant to get cover if someone is off sick and it needs a certain number of people to open?

When I upgraded my phone a few years ago, I used the new upgrade as "my" phone, and I used the old one as "other stuff" and we got SIM card from a supermarket and do a SIM only monthly bundle for a few pounds a month. I happily give out the "other stuff" number and use it on websites etc. I rarely give out "my" number.

I then took it one step further. I set up another email address for a similar purpose, and this email account downloads to the other phone. My personal email downloads my phone.

It can be a faff sometimes to have two phones, but it's been very handy at times as it's on a different network.

Ain't that the truth!! So many people making life so stressful for themselves - over nothing!

Mine is need to know.
People who need to know it - for such situations - have it.
And as someone who usually opens up, I have other people's personal numbers/
And it's strictly to be used for specific purposes.

And I have told my CEO that when he sent me a message on the weekend.

Are colleagues working from home hence the WhatsApp group? The one who doesn't want to join could get a work phone. We have similar and work paid for cheap phone/sim.

No wouldn't join a whats app group for work with my personal number..

There's a difference between HR and your line manager having your number and ebery single colleague. HR will also have my date of birth and home address - doesn't mean everyone else needs it.

How on earth do you get 'victim blaming' from that?😄

I don't mind being in a whatsapp group with colleagues I work closely with and I was happy to use my own phone for lone working check-ins during covid when we did home visits. I won't install my work email on my personal phone nor will I use my phone for two factor authentication, especially given the fact our mobiles aren't even meant to be in the classroom!
When I've been challenged about the email thing I've just explained that I can't guarantee the confidentiality or security of my phone as my teenagers access it. Whilst I don't imagine they'd be very interested in reading my school emails, I do teach locally to our home so it's always possible that they'd know the student who was the subject of an email.

I don't mind my boss having my phone number, as it helps to keep in touch if I'm ill. But outside of that he doesn't use it and I don't have my teams' numbers at all.

I used to work somewhere where they put your personal number on an HR system for all to see (they didn't do work phones) and I hated it because if someone called me and I didn't have my phone on me/ignored because I didn't know the number you'd get grief. I was less experienced then and didn't know how to make a fuss, now I'd demand is was removed.