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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Can my boss contact my husband?

320 replies

ajdjad · 10/02/2024 08:00

My husband (main money earner) is under a lot of stress at work and I am trying my hardest to reduce stress at home during this time. I am therefore not putting myself forward for overtime in my job, so he doesn’t have to worry about childcare if his shifts run over (which at the moment they often do)

Overtime has always been optional in my job and I have taken shifts in the past if I know husband is around for the kids (we can survive without the extra money, I just want to help my team where I can and who doesn’t mind a little extra spending money).

My boss has picked up on this and says I’m not myself at work (I maybe a little quieter, but home life is going through a tougher patch, but I don’t want to bring my home life to work). I have just answered life is a little exhausting at the moment but I may be open to overtime again in the future.

Boss had my husband’s number from a previous, when husband was organising a surprise for me a few years ago. They haven’t contacted each other since and it was only for this purpose. Boss has messaged husband asking if I’m ok as not myself/taking overtime.

I feel so upset. They have gone behind my back and now caused more stress at home (something else on my husbands load!). Are they allowed to do this? Is this something I can report to HR? Or AIBU?

OP posts:
BodenCardiganNot · 10/02/2024 12:33

So many posters assuming the boss is a man.

EbonyRaven · 10/02/2024 12:35

I would be absolutely fucking incensed if my boss did this. This is stepping over the line MASSIVELY. Just how DARE he do this? Hmm I would definitely be talking to your boss about this @ajdjad and would tell him never to contact my husband again. I would probably even put my complaint to him in writing, and tell him you will escalate it to HR if it happens again.

He doesn't 'care' about you. Bosses/supervisors/managers very rarely CARE about their employees. You do get the odd few who do genuinely care, but most of them do not... He is just being nosey and intrusive because he is pissed off and salty about you not doing overtime. At this point I would be looking for another job to be honest.

I speak as someone who has a DH who used to work at a particular place (Monday to Friday (9am til 5.30pm.) Some weekends they would ring up our landline at 7.30am on a Saturday to ask him to come in for a shift 9am to 3pm. When he said 'no as we have plans' they would accuse him of not being a team player and not being loyal to his employer.

ONE time, he said 'my wife is going out with the kids and a friend, to the beach - and is using the car so I can't get there.' (Workplace was off the beaten track with no public transport, and 9 miles away.) The supervisor said 'let her get the bus or walk. Is she idle or something?'

Horrible, rude, entitled, and intrusive behaviour.

His supervisor rang once on a SUNDAY morning and said 'is Steve there?' I said Yes he is, he is in bed and he is NOT coming into work.' Then I hung up.

On Monday he was hauled into the office and told off - because 'Anne' was so upset at how 'nasty' his wife was. DH told them what she has said about how me and our kids must be lazy for using the car to go to the beach. It was 70 minutes drive, but 4 hours by public transport and very few trains. Last one back to where we lived at 3.30pm (at the time.)

tl;dr, he was so pissed off by then that he started looking for another job and left a few months later.

Oh also, a woman who used to work at a place I used to work at lost her parents just a few weeks apart. A few days after her mum's funeral, her dad died. Long story short, it really knocked her about and she went on the sick for 4 weeks with stress and depression. A few days before the sick note was up, she handed another one in for a further 6 weeks The manager kept ringing and emailing her, and when he got no response, he started contacting her husband and her sister. (On facebook!) 'Oh is Linda OK, by the way when does she plan on coming back?'

All he cared about was when she was returning, as he was pissed off that the company were paying for her to be at home. Never mind that she was wrecked with loss, grief, and depression, after her parents died so close together, and she was only 34, with a 6 year old son. She was struggling to keep it together, and all her boss cared about was when she was returning to work. She had been there 12 years with less than 10 days off sick the whole time - and she returned to work after her son was born, after 4 months!

Most bosses don't give a shit about the welfare of their employees. If you have one that does, you are in the minority, and are very lucky!

Some employers/managers/supervisors are utter arseholes, and don't like ANYONE who is not obsessed with their job, and actually has the audacity to have a life outside work.

Moodicum · 10/02/2024 12:36

Absolutely should not have done this. What if you were being abused? He’d have put you in a potentially dangerous situation. He should be sacked

naisspray · 10/02/2024 12:37

Get husband to speak to boss?

BungleandGeorge · 10/02/2024 12:39

@neverbeenskiing totally disagree with you a telephone number given in a personal capacity is nothing to do with work. Husband is not an employee. It’s nothing to do with work when someone who is not an employee chooses to give their number out! And giving your number for a ‘specific purpose’ doesn’t really apply to personal circumstances, you’d need a lot more than this to approach the threshold for harassment

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 10/02/2024 12:40

Janetime · 10/02/2024 12:29

Some folks really do go for the scorched earth nuclear option first time. I do often ponder if it just on here, or if they behave like that in real life.

You mean like contacting someone’s husband rather than having a second chat…

Bringbackspring · 10/02/2024 12:41

I'd be absolutely furious about this and make that really clear. I probably wouldn't formally complain but make it known that I would if it happened again. It is also improper use of personal data.

PaperDoIIs · 10/02/2024 12:42

DistinguishedSocialCommenator · 10/02/2024 12:31

OP

What you should not have done is mix work life with your personal life

You say your boss got wind of this - is he a mind reader?

We've had problems when I though my OH was cheating, I was quiet and everyone said it at work and boss called me in "to help.." - Guess what, I never disclosed the real reason just said I was worried re my parents health etc

Imo from what you said, the boss did the right thing as they are thinking about you

It's only my opinion based on my life, we are all different, I hope its allsorted soon

Did your boss then message your husband asking if you're ok and telling him you're not doing this and that?

If not, then your situation is irrelevant.

PuggyPuggyPuggy · 10/02/2024 12:45

I don't understand why nobody can see why this might have caused more stress. Don't most people feel a bit sad, stressed, angry, whatever, when someone they care about is having a hard time? Because of empathy, rather than because the other person is taking their stress out on them?

OP's husband is trying to escape from a shitty job where he seems to expected to work over his hours at short notice all the time. Saying "no, I have to pick the kids up from school today" is not an option, or has negative consequences - that's why it's a shitty job that causes lots of stress to the husband, but also his wife who cares about his well-being, and who has to worry about whether he will actually be able to do the school run when he's supposed to. One really simple measure OP has taken to make things easier is to just be available for all school runs if necessary by declining all overtime. Now manager has poked their beak in and mentioned the overtime - one of the very things causing the husband grief in his own workplace - it's very likely that the husband is now worried that OP should be taking on more work instead of covering the school run otherwise she's going to getting the same kind of grief he's been getting and it's actually hellish, and also, how are the kids getting home from school if they are both doing overtime!? None of this requires the husband to be violent of abusive.

DistinguishedSocialCommenator · 10/02/2024 12:45

PaperDoIIs · 10/02/2024 12:42

Did your boss then message your husband asking if you're ok and telling him you're not doing this and that?

If not, then your situation is irrelevant.

What is clearly "irrelevant" is wht you have posted as you have been unable to digest my post.

please read it again and note the bit about sharing personal life with work and what I did when asked about my woes at work

Going around teling others that their posts are "irrelevant" is not up to you.

Thank you

PaperDoIIs · 10/02/2024 12:48

FrenchieF · 10/02/2024 11:35

You do sound very stressed and anxious about your husband. It’s up to him to manage his stress levels not you. I think your boss has picked up on this and was concerned. Only you will know if this came from genuine concern, which I think I has, or if it wasn’t.
its not appropriate for a boss to do this, but maybe they were thinking of you a colleague and friend?

How is messaging the husband making anything better for OP? People who act out of concern want to help. How is that message helping?

Why not have another chat with her, offer her a day off /a mental health day or several since she said she is exhausted, why not signpost her to any support services if the company buys into that, why not look at her workload/working pattern ? All options available to the manager, that are part of their job and that would actually do something for OP.

Jesus Fucking Christ, the bar for care and concern is low.

ChanelNo19EDT · 10/02/2024 12:52

Obviously your boss's agenda is that you're available for over time, but it's no harm for your husband to be reminded that your presence in the workplace is valued, and that you have stepped back to support him.

I'd be assessing your husband's reaction to your boss making it clear that you're valued in the workplace. Does he feel shame, does he reassess your sacrifice and feel and then express gratitude to you?

You say he's stressed but it's not all about him and definitely not about tiptoeing around him.

itsgettingweird · 10/02/2024 12:55

IncompleteSenten · 10/02/2024 08:10

That was not only inappropriate but potentially dangerous.
What if your husband was an abuser? That phone call could have seen you beaten to a pulp.
There are good and bad ways to try to help and support someone. He chose a bad way.

I would report it to hr pointing out that fortunately you aren't in that situation but that he could have put a woman at risk.

This is exactly what I thought.

Obviously it's come from a good place and I'm sure it was a case of not thinking it through.

But you need to decide what outcome you want. From there it'll determine your course of action.

WYorkshireRose · 10/02/2024 12:56

MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 10/02/2024 08:50

I can't see that it is a GDPR breach as he didn't access op dh number from work.

He had it due to social reasons (The surprise)

I am also concerned about quite how this is affecting you. I think you should speak to your boss, and I agree it was wrong but also you need to look for support for you.

It absolutely is a breach, as the boss has no right to disclose anything to OP's DH about how she seems at work (not herself, not taking overtime, etc). It wasn't an emergency and they were way out of line.

DarkestBeforeDawn · 10/02/2024 13:01

I would be absolutely appalled if my employer did this and would be making a complaint! My home life is none of their business.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 10/02/2024 13:01

It sounds like the boss was pissed re. overtime and that was the prime motivator for the contact, not your well being.

PaperDoIIs · 10/02/2024 13:02

@DistinguishedSocialCommenator you said the boss was right(to message her husband as that's what the thread is about). Based on the fact that you were not ok a while ago and your boss asked , and you gave a wishy washy response.

OP was also asked and gave a wishy washy response and the boss took it further and messaged her husband. Exhausted from family wife is just as wishy washy response as the one you gave. OP didn't overshare about her personal life.

How would you have felt if your boss messaged the husband you were suspecting of cheating?

xyz111 · 10/02/2024 13:04

I'd be furious OP. As others have said, your boss doesn't know that your husband isn't abusive. He needs to take you at your word. I would definitely be speaking to your boss on Monday.

HollyKnight · 10/02/2024 13:06

It is interesting how many people are assuming the boss is a man and making this a misogyny thing. It could equally be an interfering woman overstepping boundaries.

Mementomorissons · 10/02/2024 13:06

This is outrageous! What if you were secretly out of sorts because you were trying to leave an abusive partner? Your boss could have potentially inflamed a situation at home!

The only reason your boss should ever be phoning your DH is if you have died at work or gone to hospital

Marblessolveeverything · 10/02/2024 13:06

Extremely unprofessional and in my organisation would be gross misconduct.

What if they did that to someone in an abusive relationship? It doesn't matter what the motive you don't approach other adults about adults.

SiobhanSharpe · 10/02/2024 13:07

I find this quite threatening and think the concern for OP's welfare is being used to mask his/her wish for her to do more overtime.
Yes, overtime should be voluntary but this is often not the case. In reality some employers imply it's expected, and may use an employee's unwillingness to comply to manage them out or pass them over for promotions. Sometimes it's explicity stated that it's part of the job, employees have to stay until the job is finished. And obviously they're not team players if they duck out.

Or they can just make life uncomfortable at work, viz -- "wow, it's five past five and OP is still with us, crack open the champagne." Or similar.

stopthinkingaboutit · 10/02/2024 13:20

Janetime · 10/02/2024 08:08

I think I’d speak to your boss. Not go to hr.

but why has it caused a problem at home?

It's obviously put more pressure on her husband!!!!

stopthinkingaboutit · 10/02/2024 13:23

@Janetime

What on earth is wrong with you?

Her husband is stressed. It happens to us all at times.

If you've never dealt with this then you're lucky.

Leave the OP alone!

Fraaahnces · 10/02/2024 13:23

Omg - imagine how much danger your boss could have put you in if your DH was actually abusive! That was utterly out of line. No wonder you feel invaded! Do you have an HR department to talk to about this?