Boss keeps contacting me while on leave?

[wetlettuce41]

AIBU to want to be left alone to enjoy my leave?

Only on my second day of leave, and both days I have had missed calls from my boss at 8am…

Then he got a colleague to text me and ask for a call back.

Yesterday I did phone back, thinking it was urgent.

It really wasn’t. To do with my flexible working arrangement not having its yearly review back in June. This was supposed to be done by previous boss. I logged on yesterday as requested by new boss and sent through all the paperwork, forwarded the emails from June to show that I did send old boss the paperwork… I don’t know why it hasn’t been done. He said HR is on his back about it.

Not my problem is it?

I’ve done what was asked yesterday and this morning I’ve had another 8am phone call when I am trying to relax and text messages asking me to call back.

I work in the public sector. Never had this before. Boss is newly promoted.

instead of making things worse during your leave?

He is new into post, so he's throwing his weight around and seeing who he can guilt-trip into doing work above and beyond what is required. If you have no boundaries now, he will keep on busting them for the rest of the time he is there.

Block him, and if colleague keeps messaging work stuff, block them too. You can unblock when you are back at work.

You don't need to explain why. He knows exactly why already.

Set automatic email reply and phone message saying you are on annual leave and will reply on return. Then let any messages from work go through to these.

This

Don't respond. If he complains tell him.you switched your phone off. Because you were away on holiday.
He is being very unreasonable

Are you in a Union?
If so log it with a Union rep and keep a record of your new boss's behaviour because I think it sounds like harassment.
If you are not in a Union I would join one. If you don't want to look up your employers grievance policy.

Boundaries OP, i had a CF line manager who tried this and got very upset when i asked her not to call my personal phone for work reasons but she actually didn't do it again after i stonewalled her its just a quick question.

I would send an e-mail and tell him your calendar is up-to-date and can they make a meeting for when you are back from annual leave - then stick your phone on do not disturb until after ten just in case!

That's telling you what kind of boss you're going to come to.

8 am on holiday, I am fast asleep. Lord ...

Plus, spend some evenings looking online for possible new jobs

8am???

That's batshit, and in no way was that an emergency. He's acting incredibly unprofessionally. Twat.

Unless you work in some kind of medical capacity or it has to do with national infrastructure, NO situation is truly an emergency. None.

There has been at atmosphere since he came of the team feeling on edge. I’m worried if I push back it will make things worse at work for me

And he likely knows that and is already abusing his position.

If you do the professional route and ask him if you can talk about this when you get back, he will likely say no and push for results now.

In your situation I wouldn't be answering the phone at all to my workplace during my annual leave. He should be discussing things like your working arrangements with you during normal working hours, and the fact he isn't means that he doesn't like spending your work hours on things he finds trivial or waste of time......so he's trying to ensure he wastes your holiday doing it.

Be prepared for him to get angry though if you ignore everyone. If does, you must remain calm and breezy about it all, and send the situation to HR to review if he bullshits about it being an emergency, but don't expect any support. They're generally useless in situations like that and are paid to protect the company from its employees, not the employees from the company, including in the public sector. They often don't do anything about unreasonable or toxic managers, so I'm afraid this could be the beginning of the end in your job.

while I’m on could I just tell her where to find something

People who work in Sales are often this type of CF. I work with one and keep her at a distance because as soon as I behave normally around her (like a friendly face), she starts taking the piss. In her case she doesn't learn.

I don't even have Teams on my phone and as soon as I leave work for the day, I shut down my laptop.

You need to address it in your next 1 to 1. Outline the boundaries you have for being contacted outside or work.

Make sure you check company policies when you get back regarding out of hours contact.

Ensure your out of office is on and it has contact details of which of your colleagues can be contacted in your absence regarding work matters.

Make it clear in your out of office you are not reachable from day y to day z.

From there if it continues you have to go down HR route. Which in that case you may as well look for another job. Look up “employments rights bill 2026” depending on how long it takes that situation to progress and yours at work - and what becomes of challenges through employment tribunal after - they may want to get out of that habit now.

“Not my problem” is an interesting undertone from OP. Should your boss email you on AL? No. Is there more to this? I suspect there is.

I bet you work in the police dont you Op? You dont have to say but it sounds exactly lole the shit I had to deal with in the past. You need to be firm regardless of where it is you work and if they dont listen log it all and grievance.

If you raise this with HR, then lose your job then you have a case against the boss. Especially if the reason he might get rid of you is due to your disability.

Of course it shouldn't be the OP's problem if HR are hassling her boss for something the OP already provided months ago.

Boss needs to say to HR, "@wetlettuce41 is on annual leave at the moment and as you know I shouldn't be contacting her unless it's an emergency. Is it an emergency? If yes, can we double check to make sure we don't already have these documents before we bother her?"

He hasn’t just emailed me… I’ve been phoned repeatedly early in the morning… AND emailed… and had colleagues texting me asking me to call him… again multiple times. For something that isn’t an emergency and something that I’ve done my bit for months ago.

The only undertone is that my workplace procedures can be rubbish, I’ve had many a manager loose paperwork before, or not follow policy.

Oh and I can’t remember if I mentioned this either, but I also had another phone call yesterday evening when I was at my child’s school in a meeting, after I already did what was asked in the morning and sent the paperwork.

It’s harassment. Block the number whilst you’re away.

OP change your user name - it’s as if you regard yourself as a wet lettuce, 🥬 choose something else even if it’s salady like massive cucumberbatonwatch out! Be empowered!

Tell him not to contact you, you are on annual leave and will respond on your return.

silly twat.

i hope you have a good week!

Write all of this in an email to HR and ask them to send a reminder to your boss that you are entitled to be left alone when you are on annual leave.

my DH has a work phone that is his personal phone too. He has set up a ‘do not disturb’ that allows calls and messages from everyone he knows personally and in a non work capacity. Family/friends and things like dentist or whatever. Simple as ticking all the people you don’t mind contacting you when you’re not at work. Do this. Every time you’re on AL switch on your AL do not disturb. FWIW I wouldn’t have answered the first call as, with my role in the public sector, I know nothing could be that urgent and I didn’t get paid enough 😆🤣

Time every call and claim overtime.

I would block him and anyone else likely to contact you from work.

You really need to send an email to him, cc in hr and say that you are on annual leave and to please hold calls until you are back.