Avoiding phone calls from your boss

[DaisyLynn]

Just looking for opinions here, to make sure I'm not crazy.

Let's say that you are an assistant manager and it is your day off. One of your colleagues has a family emergency and can not come to work. Your boss calls and leaves you a message, then a text message, and then another voice message asking for your help. Is it acceptable to ignore these calls and texts?

 

[ols386]

I wouldn't ignore it. There might be a time when I have a family emergency and need someone to cover for me.

 

[kwelch10377]

I'm not sure if it acceptable to ignore them, but I wouldn't say it is something that you should get in trouble for.

When I worked in retail this would happen to me and if I couldn't come in I would just say that I couldn't come in.

 

[Hannathy]

NO

Not if you are in a position of responsibility or management. If I was the manager this would be the assistant manager that would STAY an assistant and the first one cut if I needed to cut someone. because to me that isn't showing leadership skills or dedication or even helpfulness when there is a problem.

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Just looking for opinions here, to make sure I'm not crazy. Let's say that you are an assistant manager and it is your day off. One of your colleagues has a family emergency and can not come to work. Your boss calls and leaves you a message, then a text message, and then another voice message asking for your help. Is it acceptable to ignore these calls and texts?

No. Maybe you need to look for another job?

 

[Angelhalo]

Should you answer......well that's up to you.

But, I don't think you should get in trouble for not answering. Maybe you also have a family emergency. Maybe you just don't carry your phone with you everywhere you go.

In my own personal situation, I am an assistant to a woman 3 days a week for 4 hours from 8:30-12:30. She calls me often on weekends, days when I am off, and in the afternoon after I have clocked out and gone on to my cake decorating business. I have asked her not to call me to ask me where to find things, how to work the projector, how to locate a file on her computer, etc etc etc because I am not on call 24/7. She told me she was sorry and agreed not to do so. Unfortunately she still does it anyway, so now I just ignore the calls.

 

[hereyago]

If the Boss can't handle the situation and figure things out, maybe they shouldn't be a boss.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

No it is not acceptable to ignore those calls. A responsible person would at least give their boss the courtesy of answering the phone.

 

[Imzadi]

No. But, you might be out of town, or away on your own family emergency and can't come in. What are your duties? Was it understood you are the fill-in person if someone can't come in? Are you expected to be available?

 

[disneyfreakk]

No, that is not acceptable!

And whats worse is if you do ignore the messages, when you go to work tomorrow you will either have to lie (ie: my phone is dead, lost, etc.) or tell your manager that you were ignoring them. Either way, you look bad.

So OP, are you the manager or the assistant manager??lol

 

[DaisyLynn]

No. Maybe you need to look for another job?

Not me, thank god! I would definitely respond, even if it were a "sorry, can't help you out".

If the Boss can't handle the situation and figure things out, maybe they shouldn't be a boss.

By help, it would be in the "can you come in on your day off to cover" category, not so much the "how do I do something" category.

 

[wvjules]

Just looking for opinions here, to make sure I'm not crazy.

Let's say that you are an assistant manager and it is your day off. One of your colleagues has a family emergency and can not come to work. Your boss calls and leaves you a message, then a text message, and then another voice message asking for your help. Is it acceptable to ignore these calls and texts?

You are an assistant manager. If you ever want to lose the ASSISTANT part in your name then you are better off answering the calls. I would never ignore the calls of my boss, day off or not. It is a reflection of my work ethic if I ignore her.

 

[hereyago]

I mean is it something like: do you know such and such file is? something that can be easily answered by a quick phone call? or is it I am having a fit and I can't handle things on the message?

 

[DaisyLynn]

bad.

So OP, are you the manager or the assistant manager??lol

Ok, ok, ok...so I'm definitely not the assistant manager.

 

[kwelch10377]

If the Boss can't handle the situation and figure things out, maybe they shouldn't be a boss.

It seems the boss was attempting to handle a situation, which was someone had called out and they needed coverage and they were trying to get a hold of someone to cover. It happens quite a bit in retail.

Sure they could have stopped after the first try and just took it for a no, but the they clearly were desperate trying to find someone.

 

[DaisyLynn]

I mean is it something like: do you know such and such file is? something that can be easily answered by a quick phone call? or is it I am having a fit and I can't handle things on the message?

The messages sounded something like "can you come in and cover a 4 hour shift in place of ___, she had a family emergency."

 

[Angelhalo]

It seems the boss was attempting to handle a situation, which was someone had called out and they needed coverage and they were trying to get a hold of someone to cover. It happens quite a bit in retail.

Sure they could have stopped after the first try and just took it for a no, but the they clearly were desperate trying to find someone.

IMO after a couple of tries, the boss needs to have a plan B. I have been the boss and understand how these things work. You can't just continue to harrangue the asst manager all day. Being quick on your feet is part of being the boss. been there, done that. It stinks, big time, but thats life.

 

[DaisyLynn]

IMO after a couple of tries, the boss needs to have a plan B. I have been the boss and understand how these things work. You can't just continue to harrangue the asst manager all day. Being quick on your feet is part of being the boss. been there, done that. It stinks, big time, but thats life.

So are you saying that it is acceptable to not respond?

 

[Pakey]

Not acceptable.

 

[daisax]

I would say the right thing to do is to respond, even if just to say "I'm sorry, I can't come in." Wish you could, but you can't.

Now if the boss is the type to never have adequate coverage in such situations and rely on the kindness (or spinelessness) of people to give up their days off regularly, then I can see ignoring the first couple of attempts in hope that he'd find somebody else.

But if he's left multiple messages and/or texts, it's wise to respond.