Ignoring work texts

[sam_gordon]

I'm a manager, so I'm basically on call 24/7/365. However, if I'm at home, my phone is next to my wallet. If I'm in another part of the house, or outside, or have headphones in, or accidentally left the phone on vibrate, I may not know I got a text until hours later. I've also been at locations where cell coverage is spotty and I truly did not receive the text until hours after it was sent.

Why didn't you try to call him? That's much more immediate than a text IMO. I would not hold it against an employee for not answering a text (or phone call or email) on their day off unless they were on call.

 

[Gracie09]

If he was off, he was off. He was under no obligation to respond and unless it was an emergency, the supervisor should have not contacted him on his day off. If it was an emergency, they should have followed-up with a phone call. It was a holiday. It was his day off.

 

[justussix]

Depends on your career aspirations, or how you want to be viewed in the event of downsizing.

I remember talking to someone once about a particular measurement that we were evaluated on. This was a good worker and a smart person that thought this particular measurement was silly and the tracking was a waste of time. While I didn't disagree with the sentiment, I told them that it's a tangible thing that they can point to. You have to play along. They easily could have met the metric if they wanted to. This person was eliminated when reductions came through, largely due to that measurement.

If this person doesn't care if they are the first to go in the event of staff reductions, then stand their ground and stick with no response on "my time". If they value their job, and want to viewed favorably, take two seconds and respond that they had plans for the day and can't change them. This assumes that the text was received and deliberately ignored.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Do you? What are you're reasons if you do? Yesterday my boss and supervisor texted someone to come in and he totally ignored both. I feel like unless you are in a life or death situation you can respond.

What say you?

Yes. This was all we wanted. We all just normal office workers. It's a laid back office. I would have just said "no sorry I have plans". Was not an emergency but we could have used the help

____________________
Was he called then to come in on Memorial Day? If so that's even less of an incentive to answer a text period. When this would happen to me when I worked in retail it was a call not a text. I would let it go to voicemail and then I would listen to that to see what they wanted. Normally I would call back but that is not a requirement at all. I know there were times that I didn't see the call until it was well past the time the retail place wanted me to come in and in that case I didn't bother to call back.

The thing is you said it was normal office workers and even if you said it's a laid back office...I would be more annoyed that I was getting a text to come into the office to work. Most often office work is a set schedule. Now salaried employees have a more fluid schedule at times but still. No answer means they aren't going to be able to come in regardless of whether the person ignored the text completely or just didn't get it in time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Depends on your career aspirations, or how you want to be viewed in the event of downsizing.

I remember talking to someone once about a particular measurement that we were evaluated on. This was a good worker and a smart person that thought this particular measurement was silly and the tracking was a waste of time. While I didn't disagree with the sentiment, I told them that it's a tangible thing that they can point to. You have to play along. They easily could have met the metric if they wanted to. This person was eliminated when reductions came through, largely due to that measurement.

If this person doesn't care if they are the first to go in the event of staff reductions, then stand their ground and stick with no response on "my time". If they value their job, and want to viewed favorably, take two seconds and respond that they had plans for the day and can't change them. This assumes that the text was received and deliberately ignored.

And that to me is an unfortunate thing. I know it happens and all but it's frustrating that the way a some managers/supervisors/companies view things is you should be available 24/7 and it's a negative if they don't receive a call or in this case a text back. Many people have jobs that don't require their attention that way and heck my husband's work phone sits most of the time on the weekend/holiday away from him.

It is more understandable if a job is such that you need to be ready to go at a moment's notice. But things come into play such as labor laws, and for the employee respecting their time off, etc though. I will say though jobs are different in different areas. There are plenty of jobs that not answering a text does not deem you to be on the chopping block.

 

[Southernmiss]

What's the nature of the business? Is this USA?

I am the office manager of our church. I frequently get texts on my days off at home. I got one on Saturday-the housekeeper for the rectory was looking for her paycheck. Sorry, you usually come in on Friday and didn't and did not let me know you were coming Saturday. You can get your check on Tuesday when I'm back in the office.

Sometimes the texts are from parishioners with questions that can be handled Monday to Friday during office hours. I'll wait until then to reply and might even block the texter from messaging me again at home. (I pay for the phone and it's not part of my contract to be accessible at all hours for general questions.)

I am also the alarm contact. Yes, I'll come running then.

Another question, if the office knew the work might be more than what could be handled, why give the day off in the first place.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I'm a supervisor so unfortunately I don't have the luxury of ignoring work texts or phone calls, even on vacation. If I could put a red dot on a WDW map at every location I've had to answer a work text or phone call, it would look like WDW had chicken pox.

However, I wouldn't hold it against an employee for not responding to texts or phone calls unless it was explained to them ahead of time that it's an expectation they'll respond.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I am not tethered to my phone nor would I probably answer. Home time is MY time with my family.

You seem way more irritated that he didn't come in to help than that he didn't answer. Maybe his phone was dead (mine is crap and dies at 40% battery). Maybe he was doing something and left it in his car. Maybe he was at the movies.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Unless he is in a manager or lead position (or on call) he has no obligation to respond to work phone calls/text messages/emails while on his days off. I am glad I work for a company that understands this and doesn't hold it against you for being off the clock.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Unless the expectation was set that work schedule communications are handled via text AND that employees are expected to be reachable via text 24/7 or during certain periods, then I think he had no obligation to respond unless he wanted to.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

I think it could go either way. I'm a big fan of being direct so I likely would have texted that I couldn't come in.

I've also worked in offices where responding meant getting into a back and forth about why and what I was doing and couldn't I do that later blah blah guilt trip. I resent that since what I'm doing is not for my boss to pass value judgement on, so I would ignore it.

As far as being a "team" player and showing that you're available to be valuable to the company? Eh, I've seen it turn into the company knowing who they can take advantage of more than anything else.

But it all comes down to specific circumstances and work understandings.

 

[Nancyg56]

It's not really that complicated. He was home. Asked to come in. Ignored the question. Was asked to come in tomorrow (today) also ignored. Not on vacation.

And you know this how? I miss a lot of text messages because if I am not near my phone when they arrive, I don't see them. I don't feel obligated to check for them either.

On my day off, if you need me and I have not answered my text message, you can call. If I don't answer the text and you assume that I just ignored you then that says plenty about you.

This exactly. But he is nototrious for "not getting" his texts. He blames the phone all the time. We could have used the extra person. But he just blew it off

My son does not get his texts. Sometimes they show up hours later, other times days later, and others still do not arrive at all. If I need him and he does nto respond to a text in a timely manner I don't assume he ignored me. I call.


Now, as to the last minute call on Memorial Day. I am not at all sure I would even pick up the phone. It depends on how my day off was scheduled. Would I have been offered double time had I been scheduled, but the manager wanted to save the money and hedge his bets that I would come in if needed? I would know that if it was a pattern, and it seems to me from your comments that this place habitually calls this guy in on a day off. Perhaps there needs to be a change in scheduling so the place is properly covered.

 

[disneychrista]

It's not really that complicated. He was home. Asked to come in. Ignored the question. Was asked to come in tomorrow (today) also ignored. Not on vacation.

How do you know he was home? How do you not know he was somewhere else? Forgot phone at home out turned off?

I don't always answer work calls. I am allowed to have time off, away from work

 

[nene0182]

My husband is management and on call 24/7 so yes he responds right away even on vacation and is expected to tell someone if he will not be reachable for whatever reason. One reason I love cruises. However, he would never expect his guys to answer their phones or texts on their days off if he needs someone to work. He will try but understands if someone says no and has gone in to cover a shift if needed. That's their time to spend with their family and doing what they need to get done that they can't do during the week (they work 7am-7pm or 7pm-7am 5 days one week and 4 the next) To him, that's one of the consequences of being management and salary and thankfully it doesn't happen often.

 

[elaine amj]

I'm salary. I do respond to calls/texts on the weekend - but am not stressed if I miss something for a few hours. Recently, a coworker called me on Saturday and I didn't notice it until about 45 mins later when I called back. No guilt for being a little unavailable. Overall, I try to be pretty available to my office on evenings and weekends. I do say no if I have plans or whatever - but I balance that by agreeing to more than my fair share of after hours work.

It shakes out fine - they're accommodating when I'm running a few mins late to work or if I take a slightly longer lunch or leave a little early because I need to go to a dr appointment or watch my kids' track and field meet.

When I supervised frontline employees - I will say I considered it a black mark against hourly employees who were not willing to be a bit flexible to accommodate our office needs. Not a fire-able offense - but if they weren't willing to be flexible for my needs, then I certainly was much less willing to be flexible for their needs. I certainly never expected staff to come running whenever called. If someone already has other plans or doesn't see the call/text, then no biggie, I'll move on to the next person on the list or cover the shift myself. But if its a consistent pattern and EVERY single time I ask if you can come in to cover for someone who called in sick or to provide extra staffing for a special event you said no...well, that gets old very fast. Being a team player and available to work a flexible schedule was important enough to be noted as part of the job requirements and it certainly was annoying when we had one staff who was never able to accommodate us - and yet, would ask for the schedule to be changed because she had a conflict with her other job/life needs.

 

[Nancyg56]

My husband is management and on call 24/7 so yes he responds right away even on vacation and is expected to tell someone if he will not be reachable for whatever reason. One reason I love cruises. However, he would never expect his guys to answer their phones or texts on their days off if he needs someone to work. He will try but understands if someone says no and has gone in to cover a shift if needed. That's their time to spend with their family and doing what they need to get done that they can't do during the week (they work 7am-7pm or 7pm-7am 5 days one week and 4 the next) To him, that's one of the consequences of being management and salary and thankfully it doesn't happen often.

Exactly. I work part time so I monitor my email on days off, but that is my own choice. My employer has never asked me to do so, nor would he ever expect me to work on a day off, especially if he asked me via text on that day. I also do work on my days off, but again, I know my workload and will adjust if need be. An hourly employee is not under the same obligations as a salaried manager.

 

[Blackadder337]

My work pays for our cell phones and we are given pretty much unlimited use for work and or home. BUT the trade-off for that is that if we get an after hours email or text (we'll say between the hours of 4-8pm), we are required to at least look at it and if its a quick reply at least do that much, but we're not necessarily required to call people back or go in to work.

On weekends, holidays and vacations though, we're not required to reply or even look at it.

 

[Gracie09]

Depends on your career aspirations, or how you want to be viewed in the event of downsizing.

I remember talking to someone once about a particular measurement that we were evaluated on. This was a good worker and a smart person that thought this particular measurement was silly and the tracking was a waste of time. While I didn't disagree with the sentiment, I told them that it's a tangible thing that they can point to. You have to play along. They easily could have met the metric if they wanted to. This person was eliminated when reductions came through, largely due to that measurement.

If this person doesn't care if they are the first to go in the event of staff reductions, then stand their ground and stick with no response on "my time". If they value their job, and want to viewed favorably, take two seconds and respond that they had plans for the day and can't change them. This assumes that the text was received and deliberately ignored.

And that is one of the biggest problems with corporate culture in the US. Who knows what this person was doing. He could be spending the day with his kids or picking his toenails, it really doesn't matter because it was his time to use as he pleases. To hold taking time off against people is just asinine.
DH and I sometimes deliberately leave our phones home when we are with our kids. They are our personal phones. We pay for them. We are off. That is our time. If its a true emergency, I will respond when I get back. If not I will wait until I am in the office.

 

[10MoreMinutes]

If it was his day off and wasn't on-call, he had absolutely no obligation to respond.

I'm an 8:30-5:30 Monday-Friday legal secretary, and I ignored a text from my boss yesterday because it was something I knew could wait until today when I was in the office. If it had been some kind of emergency, I would have responded, and if they'd wanted me to come in, I would have responded to let them know I couldn't. HOWEVER, my boss has made it clear that I'm under no obligation to answer any work texts/calls/e-mails on my days off, even emergency ones.

 

[nkereina]

I agree he was under no obligation to reply, but it probably would have been the courteous thing to do. Especially if he knew the manager needed to locate coverage for the days. It depends on the culture in your work place, but at my work, people would roll their eyes if they didn't get a reply but they wouldn't be held accountable for it.