Ignoring work texts

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I get that texting is unprofessional but let's say a employee lost his or her voice. I am not talking the frog voice I am talking non existent

 

[SMD]

I get that texting is unprofessional but let's say a employee lost his or her voice. I am not talking the frog voice I am talking non existent

That has happened to me twice, once when I worked in a call center, so there was really no point in coming in. Both times I sent an email, which is something more concrete that I can show should there be any questions later. However, if the policy is that you must call, I would have had to accept any discipline that came with not calling. I suppose I could have found someone to call for me as well, though I know that would not have gone over well at either of those jobs. But any situation, instead of looking for a loophole, I'd want an employee to jump through every hoop to make sure I'm aware of the situation so that I could do what I needed to do for the needs of the business, so I do the same if I have to.

 

[jaminmd]

I get Text from my Scheduler/Unit mgr at least once a day. I get so sick of telling them no I just ignore text. I'm not getting paid to be on call, There is no incentive to pick up outside of normal work pay. It gets old when you have worked 10 of last 12 days and you are on verge of wanting to strangle someone.

I do not miss those days. Now that I work in administration, it makes me sick how they nickel and dime the RNs but admin seems to have an endless budget for their needs. We have useless VPs making hundreds of thousands of dollars but we have to micro manage the RN every 15 minutes. Makes me sick.

 

[Westcoastwild]

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

But then it sounds like you would be upset if he HAD responded and said, sorry, I've got plans. Which contradicts your earlier point that it is a laid back environment and you just thought he should let the boss know one way or another.

I think if someone doesn't pick up, it's an answer in and of itself. They aren't available to come in.

 

[Westcoastwild]

A lot of retail managers are notorious for finding out the workers who struggle to say no and consistently contact that person(s) first when the need arises. My youngest daughter is just working her first year-round part-time job and had to learn quickly how to say no, otherwise she would never get to actually be off on a Saturday or Sunday she wasn't scheduled for because her manager would call for her to fill in for someone who called in. She got fed up when it meant she canceled whatever she had planned every time she was scheduled to have a weekend day off -- and then would subsequently find out from a coworker who had called in that they decided they wanted a day off and simply called in because they were scheduled to work.

My daughter's manager called her several times during her first semester of college when she was clearly listed as unavailable at class. "Oh well, I thought I would give you the first option just in case." When the manager herself was out she directed another manager to call my daughter first. That manager felt terrible when he found out she was at school and could not understand why he was told to call her first when it was blocked off that my daughter would be unavailable during those hours.

Finally my daughter has wised up to screen the calls from work. And her manager learned at least to respect the times that are blocked off for her classes because she knows there's no way my daughter will cut class to come in for her.

RIGHT. See this? Exactly my experience with some bosses.

I was kind of on the fence before I found out this was a retail/mattress outlet job. This guy probably gets texts from the supervisor on all the major holidays. Because other people fake sickness or the boss doesn't schedule enough people to be begin with.

The OP is just judgy. Sometimes people who have 6 jobs in four years have that kind of turnover in retail because of bosses and coworkers that this guy has. It's not laid back. It's unprofessional and probably toxic. Your coworker should not know whether you answered a call like this or not.

And I think it's pretty telling the OP hasn't actually said what the job entails. I'd bet it's no office job at all. It's straight up retail.

 

[dish rag]

It's interesting to read some of this. I've worked many times for months and months 7 days a week. I know some specialists that work 18 hrs a day for days at a time. My own father did that 7 days for weeks at a time. To not answer a txt or not want to work on a day off is just lazy to many of us.

 

[scrapquitler]

It's interesting to read some of this. I've worked many times for months and months 7 days a week. I know some specialists that work 18 hrs a day for days at a time. My own father did that 7 days for weeks at a time. To not answer a txt or not want to work on a day off is just lazy to many of us.

Really?? Because I want to have a day off on my day off, I'm lazy? I'm sure glad that I don't work where you work.

 

[wenrob]

It's interesting to read some of this. I've worked many times for months and months 7 days a week. I know some specialists that work 18 hrs a day for days at a time. My own father did that 7 days for weeks at a time. To not answer a txt or not want to work on a day off is just lazy to many of us.

Eh, some of us prefer to have lives and/or maybe get some rest. My brother made himself available to his employer 24/7. He would answer a call right in the middle of a face to face conversation, answer any time day or night including my grandmother's funeral. Let me tell you, his job was not that important. He just felt that's what he needed to do. He lived apart from his family for close to seven years, only home on weekends and missed parts of his son's life he'll never get back. His health has suffered and you know what he got after all that loyalty and availability? Laid off.

It's not lazy, it's self preservation.

 

[Westcoastwild]

It's interesting to read some of this. I've worked many times for months and months 7 days a week. I know some specialists that work 18 hrs a day for days at a time. My own father did that 7 days for weeks at a time. To not answer a txt or not want to work on a day off is just lazy to many of us.

Specialists, sure. Because for one thing they're getting overtime. For another thing, they may be on call.

But a nonsalaried sales position? Nope. You're not indispensable and unless you need the cash, there is no expectation that you'll pick up.

 

[SaintsManiac]

It's interesting to read some of this. I've worked many times for months and months 7 days a week. I know some specialists that work 18 hrs a day for days at a time. My own father did that 7 days for weeks at a time. To not answer a txt or not want to work on a day off is just lazy to many of us.

Call me lazy all day. It doesn't bother me one bit. My job is simply a job. I won't get a gold star in the after life for working on my time off.

Now DH has a career that requires on call work, weekend work and middle of the night calls, too. He's building a career with the same company he's been with for 12 years.

I was laid off from 2 jobs in 3 years. I learned not to give up my precious time to ungrateful management. You have one life to live after all.

 

[Kaytie]

FWIW, I just checked my Android using Message+ App, and I can tell a message has been delivered, but not whether it's been read.

Same here. Although supposedly Android released either an update or a new feature or something about three weeks ago that does show when a text was read.

Or so I was informed in a side conversation.

It gets old when you have worked 10 of last 12 days and you are on verge of wanting to strangle someone

Yeah, those are probably good days not to grab the extra shifts...

However, if the policy is that you must call, I would have had to accept any discipline that came with not calling

I actually don't have much of a voice right now, and haven't for several months. I e-mail, and periodically call HR and leave a nearly unintelligible message, just / so they can tell I still can't talk to customers.

 

[dish rag]

Really?? Because I want to have a day off on my day off, I'm lazy? I'm sure glad that I don't work where you work.

You would really enjoy it!

 

[dish rag]

Call me lazy all day. It doesn't bother me one bit. My job is simply a job. I won't get a gold star in the after life for working on my time off.

Now DH has a career that requires on call work, weekend work and middle of the night calls, too. He's building a career with the same company he's been with for 12 years.

I was laid off from 2 jobs in 3 years. I learned not to give up my precious time to ungrateful management. You have one life to live after all.

Could be why you were laid off ! Attitude!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Could be why you were laid off ! Attitude!

Rude much?

I actually knew a coworker that in 2 1/2 years time was laid off from 2 jobs...the reason why was downsizing in the company for one and a merger for the second where they eliminated duplicate jobs.

 

[focusondisney]

It's interesting to read some of this. I've worked many times for months and months 7 days a week. I know some specialists that work 18 hrs a day for days at a time. My own father did that 7 days for weeks at a time. To not answer a txt or not want to work on a day off is just lazy to many of us.

What kind of a job lets you work that kind of time without a day off? Coz if you are in the medical profession, I wouldn't want you taking care of my loved ones.

 

[dish rag]

Rude much?

I actually knew a coworker that in 2 1/2 years time was laid off from 2 jobs...the reason why was downsizing in the company for one and a merger for the second where they eliminated duplicate jobs.

We usually keep the better employees during cut backs. Never had a merger but hope to soon. Should be able to keep everyone going.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We usually keep the better employees during cut backs. Never had a merger but hope to soon. Should be able to keep everyone going.

"Better" is subjective.

My last employer had a habit of firing employees who were close to retirement......as an at-will company no reason has to be given but you know it's pretty suspect that an employee who has worked for you for 25,35+ years and is within a few months of retirement gets fired-and it wasn't just one or two employees they did that too (ETA: it was worse when we had 13 months of a hiring and promotion freeze). They also weeded out the older employees as far as age goes because they could hire younger employees for less money who could do more work for less money too.

You're assuming the companies doing the cutbacks are always doing them with respects to performance and whatnot however that isn't always the case.

As far as a merger, it's normal that a company eliminates duplicate work if they can. It's less money for them. There are times that they can shift employees from one position to another but they usually can't keep everyone.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

What kind of a job lets you work that kind of time without a day off? Coz if you are in the medical profession, I wouldn't want you taking care of my loved ones.

18 hours a day 7 days a week would net someone probably 4 hours of sleep a night or less. Not possible for long.

 

[Kaytie]

Could be why you were laid off ! Attitude!

Funny. I was laid off last week along with every.single.other.employee because my employer was taken over by another company. Nothing at all to do with anyone's attitude. And we did have an arrangement where management would send out a group text to everyone who'd previously agreed to accept notification when last-minute help was needed.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Call me lazy all day. It doesn't bother me one bit. My job is simply a job. I won't get a gold star in the after life for working on my time off.

Now DH has a career that requires on call work, weekend work and middle of the night calls, too. He's building a career with the same company he's been with for 12 years.

I was laid off from 2 jobs in 3 years. I learned not to give up my precious time to ungrateful management. You have one life to live after all.

The thing is, if it suited the management, your husband would be laid off just as your management did to you.