Mobile no and ex employee

[biddleyboo]

Hoping to get some advice on a matter that I'm struggling to find any information on.
A subcontractor we had in our firm in a management role for approx 8 years left in December on bad terms. At the start he ported his mobile number to the firm, and we have paid his bills, renewed contracts, upgraded handsets etc for this entire time. The number has been used on various marketing/advertising campaigns for the business and has been given to customers consistently for years as well.
When he left it was agreed that he would leave the phone with us for three months and we would review the volume and type of calls before making a decision on wether he could get the number back.
This process has shown that the number is very much a part of the business now, and has bought to light various issues that had we not had the phone we would have been oblivious to, potentially costing £0000's.

So we had a meeting arranged to discuss the outcome of the review period. At the last minute he has cancelled and said that if we don't give him his number back he will sue us. He doesn't want to enter into any kind of discussion. It's his way or nothing.
Now this man has control issues and hates being told no, so I'm sure that most of it is bluster but does anyone know if he has a leg to stand on?

He is claiming that he may get personal texts on the number and it would breach his privacy. He did use this number as his personal phone before he worked for us and along side the business use when with us. It to be honest he hasn't had a single personal call or text in the last three months.

Can anyone shed any light on the angle he may take on a legal route?

I typed a detailed answer which has disappeared. What was the arrangement when the company took over the phone contract? Is it documented? Sounds as though everyone has behaved as though it is still his phone. Would have been better to say it was a company phone when ported to the company bill. It's clearly worth more to the company than you may have thought so what will be cheaper? Paying him off by arranging a new phone contract for him or changing all the materials and locations where the number has been used and giving him the phone back?

I typed a detailed answer which has disappeared. What was the arrangement when the company took over the phone contract? Is it documented? Sounds as though everyone has behaved as though it is still his phone. Would have been better to say it was a company phone when ported to the company bill. It's clearly worth more to the company than you may have thought so what will be cheaper? Paying him off by arranging a new phone contract for him or changing all the materials and locations where the number has been used and giving him the phone back?

Jeepers. Let him take it to court.. Tell him you won't port the number back to him. And let home get on with it.

Although not in dispute with my workplace I had my number pay as you go (back in the day) the company took my number over and aid for it in their business plan as I used my phone a lot for work, I have started working (part time second job) fir someone else, it doesn't feel right to use my phone for that work when another is paying. Phones much cheaper now and tbh would be happy to just take my number back ( had it 13 years) but is really hard to do, not a problem company happy to let me do it but you have to exchange letters have mutually agreeable password to get moved over Vphone said its really hard to do as company own my number now so massive PITA speak to your provider see if the same then you just don't play ball. Not legal advice but a similar situation but with no angst!

If it's worth money to you as a business then the sensible thing to do would be to buy it off him.

@Goodgriefisitginfizzoclock when I had a similar issue, my IT team asked me to get a new PAYG number/SIM. They then ported my existing number onto that [i.e. out of the company phone 'network' of numbers] and away I went. If they needed a number for my replacement, I assume they just got a brand new one allocated from the phone people.