AIBU to think care staff shouldn’t be drinking and taking work calls in Wetherspoons?

[futureproofed12]

I was in a Wetherspoons this afternoon and there was a table nearby who were all drinking alcohol.
Nothing you wouldn’t expect to see, until they started taking many phone calls, with their phones on loud, announcing the caller name every time. You didn’t need to be purposely trying to listen to hear.

It transpired they worked for a care company (I think at least a couple of them weren’t carers themselves but perhaps office staff) and they were taking work calls. I could hear the company they worked for as they announced it answering calls and then one relayed their number back to someone. I had a quick Google of the company name, number matched and a photo of one of the women at the table, was on their website.

AIBU to think they for one shouldn’t be drinking alcohol when at work nor two, having loud work telephone calls which could breach service user confidentiality, in such a public forum?

Were they definitely drinking alcohol? Not just out for lunch? Did you hear any identifying details of the answer to either question is yes then there’s an issue. If the answer is no then they are just rude answering calls loudly!

I'm sure having looked up their company website you'll be filling in the contact form to report the staff you saw.

I expect they didn't realise there'd be a nosy fucker on the next table Googling what they can hear.

Report them to the CQC - breaking confidentiality and bringing the company into disrepute

It was around tea time and yes, they were at the table next to and all had alcohol.
The only male had a tablet at the table as well.
They were having work conversations about service users.

There’s a difference between straining yourself to hear someone’s private conversations and being able to hear someone loudly having work conversations. I’ve always worked in jobs where integrity and confidentiality is important, hence Googling the company name when I heard care. Maybe you were one of them Tings 😱
I don’t think relatives of service users would expect them to be talked about publicly, not least in a pub.

I don’t think they should have been talking about work but i don’t see the issue with a drink at lunchtime

They were taking work calls to do with service users rather than just chatting and it was at tea time.

Absolutely fair enough if you’ve finished work and you’re going out with your colleagues after, but then you wouldn’t still be taking work calls.

The only male had a tablet at the table as well.

Probably an ecstasy pill.

Report the bastard.

IT tablet - aka work things displayed on a large screen everyone can see but clearly you knew that and just haven’t got much else to do tonight 😂

If I had much else to do tonight, I wouldn't be entertaining this very strange thread! 😁

Oh mind your own business.

We're they reading out loud the names and addresses of service users? Discussing their cases? How much alcohol had they consumed? Enough to render them incapable of driving/attending to vulnerable people?

obviously if OP could infer that the group worked for XYZ company and were taking calls about XYZ service users, then that is poor work behaviour and you would not want it going on if you were the family of or service user involved.

seems a no brainer to expect and require higher professional ethics & standards?

I read posts like this and I find it really weird how much has changed. In my first 6 jobs we went to the pub every day for a pint at lunchtime.

I know it’s 20 plus years ago but this thread makes me feel very old

They should NOT be naming clients anywhere anyonecN hear.
You honestly think they are the victims here?!!

They are so poorly paid and treated I wouldn’t care tbh. It’s probably not right but I’ve heard lots of people in jobs that pay good money be loose lipped, sniffing coke etc when they should value their role more. I would let it go personally. I don’t need anyone to tell me they disagree, I already know that some people will and that’s why it’s a forum, for different opinions if which you are entitled to post without someone telling you why you’re wrong.

There are no victims here 🙄

Don't be a horrible grass. Nobody likes them...

Would you feel like that if they were discussing your / a relatives care needs in a pub.

Yes.

My relatives don't have such unique names that a pub customer would automatically know they were speaking about them...

Although I expect the OP would get herself to work, looking up the ancestry registers and borough archives immediately.

You must have been so bored in the pub OP to go to those lengths 😃

I get paid for the hours I’m at work, I don’t get paid to remain sober to answer my phone or emails out of hours so if I’m out in my own time and work ring me and I’m in Wetherspoon then tough they can call me on their time or accept whatever I am doing, work don’t own anyone’s entire life.

YANBU. They shouldn't be discussing their work or taking work calls in a public place, repeating numbers is a breach of GDPR. I work in care and if any of them were attending calls after an alcoholic drink, they could be using equipment and under no circumstances is equipment like that to be used after alcohol intake. In the company I work for and all others I've worked for, it would be gross misconduct and a sackable offence.

No issue with them going to the pub but if it's true that they were having conversations about service users in that environment and those conversations could reasonably overheard then that should be reported. The rest of it, who cares.