What kind of organisations have very strict hierarchies and protocols?

[Lingostar]

Okay, very sorry and it’s a TAAT - can’t remember if this is allowed or not!

But I’m SO curious - the bonkers long thread about a junior colleague’s contact after hours. Whatever people thought about how appropriate or not it was, in what workplace and in what sort of senior role would this structure be in place?!

I suppose government (junior civil servants couldn’t bother the PM if his job might be to wake up in a few hours to go stop a war or whatever), but what else?! Hospitals where top surgeons absolutely have to be well rested or else lives are at risk?

I’m genuinely baffled and possibly being dim - but can anyone explain?!

I think the OP in that thread was a civil servant, so does that answer your question? I didn't read it all but recall a reference to SCS, although may have been as an analogy.

I would guess most of them

Can you give a bit more detail for those of us who haven’t read the thread.

I work in an industry that is totally different (think creative / performing arts). Yet, the structures in place are quite hierarchical and roles and responsibilities not easily transferable at all.

In an emergency, I can only be called upon if someone with the same degree of authority, or same task has failed to appear at work or is having an issue that means they won’t be in.

It’s difficult to explain while being vague, but in my company of 200+ employees there is only 1 person who is allowed and/or required to contact me if there’s an emergency that needs sorting - and said emergency must be directly impacting my specific role.

I oversee people on temp contracts who work directly under me and again, there are only 2 people I can go to if something happens with one of those temps.

For us it’s not about having to be well rested, but about the necessity of the out of work contact itself. Having said all of that, we have unusual, long and unsociable hours. “Out of hours” might mean 10am
on a normal working Monday. It’s difficult to grasp unless you’re in the industry itself.

Wouldn't you have some sort of playbook for any situations that need people to be on call? Calling people costs money (in that people contacted will be paid extra if they get called), you don't want to be doing it willy nilly. We have business continuity plans too.