Work Vent!

[ckret01]

It seems that I am constantly complaining about work on here but I just can't help it.

I have a work cell phone and I am to carry it around everywhere I go. Not a problem right! Well My boss decides to call me on it this mroning when I didn't have it on me because I went to the bathroom. He came in shortly after that to work (he was late coming in as usual) and we had our normal morning meeting and he says to me very stern " I tried to call you this morining on your cell phone and you didn't have it on you, you need to carry that around with you 365 days a year , 24 hours a day...you need to be trained to keep it with you at all times" .

I said I do carry it with me at all times except when I go to the bathroom and he said I am to carry it even in the bathroom and it's unacceptable to not have it with me at all times.

AGGGHHHHHHH I never seem to catch a break when it comes to here

 

[4cruisin]

One way to solve that problem is to go to a joke store and purchase a whoopee cushion. Next time he calls you at home, use the whoopee cushion during a few well placed breaks in the conversation and then flush the toilet. Bet he will change his thinking.

I know, I have a warped sense of humor.

 

[VickiVM]

Find a new job. That kind of boss will never be satisfied.

 

[swanmom]

Funny..........I have a different reaction. If it's a job that I needed/wanted to keep, I'd have said "Sorry. Momentary lapse. I'll try to be more careful to keep it with me" and let it go. Sure, this is a boss that is hard to satisfy but I'm not sure how responding with a 'don't take it to the bathroom' comment is going to do anything but make him think you're a smart aleck and/or make him madder. JMHO

 

[mudnuri]

my job requires me to be available 24/7/365 as well.- however, mines a management position, not sure what yours is.

Tuesday night I was unavailable taking a test for college entrance. When I got out to my car, I had a voice mail- was my boss. Simple "just curious about x, call me back when you can"

I called him back- and just said- sorry about getting voice mail, I was taking the placement test....his reply- not a problem thanks for calling me back.

My question would be- you know he called you- why wouldnt you call him back to simply say "sorry I was out of the service area, what did you need?"

Seems like you could simply put out the fire before it started? I have caller ID on my phone, so I know who calls, and can decide if I want to answer it.

In my area, there are lots of dead zones. I can be 15 minutes from work and not be reachable, however I always return calls that are important as soon as I get signal again.

Brandy

 

[ckret01]

Funny..........I have a different reaction. If it's a job that I needed/wanted to keep, I'd have said "Sorry. Momentary lapse. I'll try to be more careful to keep it with me" and let it go. Sure, this is a boss that is hard to satisfy but I'm not sure how responding with a 'don't take it to the bathroom' comment is going to do anything but make him think you're a smart aleck and/or make him madder. JMHO

Just to clarify-when I said I didn't take it to the bathroom was just trying to let him that I do take it everywhere with me but the bathroom so he doesn't think that I don't carry it with me at other times like at break or whatever . I wasn't trying to be a smart aleck in the least! I said that to cover the rest of my butt...I also said " not a problem to him and I would make sure I take the phone with me going forward".

mudnuri - My question would be- you know he called you- why wouldnt you call him back to simply say "sorry I was out of the service area, what did you need?"

To answer that I did not know he called me until I was in the meeting with him. He had called me while he was just getting to work there was like a 5 minute difference from the time he called me to the time he got in his office and as soon as he got in we had our morning meeting. I had just returned to my desk not even 2 minutes prior to that and I never checked my cell phone at that moment as I was getting stuff to bring into the meeting b/c I knew he was in and ready to go. He didn't leave a voicemail which if he did my cell would have beeped and I would have thought to look at it right before my meeting.

I am in no way of saying I am right with missing his phone call within a matter of minutes. My problem with all of this was brining my cell phone everywhere I go was never even spoke about between me and him. ok no problem! I knew common sense would be to bring it everywhere I go just didn't think the bathroom was considered. !!!

 

[VickiVM]

Ok - I'll be nosey. Just what is it you do that is so important that you must be at the mercy of the cell phone.

Let me preface this: I am no way judging you or your occupation. For all I know you deliver transplant organs. But if we as a society allow our employers to have that much control over our life 24/7/365 then something is seriously wrong. I've left jobs for this reason because I don't get paid 24/7. Even in management there should be protocol when it is appropriate to have your staff 100% available. I recognize that sometimes it's necessary - but every day???

I'm only available 24/7/365 to only 4 people (see my sign. photo). Hey - and one of them not necessarily...

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

I don't take the phone in the bathroom with me, but when I get out, I usually check to see if he ( almost a 100% guarantee that if I go in, he calls ) or anyone else has called me...then I call right back.

 

[VickiVM]

I don't take the phone in the bathroom with me, but when I get out, I usually check to see if he ( almost a 100% guarantee that if I go in, he calls ) or anyone else has called me...then I call right back.

That reminds me of what my husband says when he's waiting for someone to return his call on the cell. "Let me go to the bathroom and that will make him call".

 

[ckret01]

I work for a hedge fund company and my boss is a Trader. I am an Admin / Trading assistant (entering tickets and stuff not actual trading). There is one other guy that works w/ me and my boss and he sits right in front of me. I usually answer his phone while he is away from his desk but he doesn't answer mine.

The reason he called me this morning was to add something to his outlook calendar.


I usually check my cell phone too when I walk away from it but I usually never even use it or even get phones calls on it...it just figures the one time I walked away from my desk he calls....he has NEVER called me on my cell before either. Ususally he will call me and if he doesn't get me he calls the other guy we work with next but I guess he tried my cell in between and I missed his call!

Again I understand being on call however, when he gave me the cell phone he never made it clear as to when he expects me to carry it around, he just gave it to me incase he ever needed to reach me..

Common sense like I said before...I know to keep it with me wherever I go I just didn't think he meant the bathroom. And he looked at me like I was crazy for not taking it in there with me. He made it clear he always brings his phone even when he is in the bathroom b/c he might get a phone call.

 

[LilyStar]

I once had a job like this also. I quit there a year ago after working there for almost 7 years. I was the Box Office Manager for a busy casino entertainment venue. I had a company cell phone that I was "to carry with me at all times" also. And I did for the most part. However when I started to get yelled at non-stop for not being "at my bosses beckon call", I started to push back. I told him, I have an assistant manager that can handle this sort of stuff when I'm not around. That's the whole reason we hired additional positions, so that they could take care of things when I wasn't available. Be weary of a boss like this, there really is no pleasing them. And I would have said the same thing you did about being in the bathroom. There is NO REASON ON EARTH you should have to be at ANYONE's disposal like that. I don't care WHAT you do unless you're responsible for other people's lives. What happens when you go on vacation or you're out of cell phone usage area??? If you can do anything to get a different job or a different boss I would suggest it. I finally had enough of it and actually moved out of state to better my quality of life. I wouldn't have found another job in my field had I stayed in the area I was living in.

Good luck and don't let work or your boss rule your life. It's not worth it in the end.

 

[ericamanda01]

One way to solve that problem is to go to a joke store and purchase a whoopee cushion. Next time he calls you at home, use the whoopee cushion during a few well placed breaks in the conversation and then flush the toilet. Bet he will change his thinking.

I know, I have a warped sense of humor.

Great minds think alike! I was just thinking the same think!

 

[Disney Doll]

This is why I hate cell phones. They have made us think we need to be available 24/7/365. Or, in oyur case, they have made your boss think you need to be available 24/7/365.

 

[RadioFanatic]

my dad used to bring his work cell with him everywhere - even the bathroom until one time he was doing his business (#1) and it rang. Dad jumped, phone fell and guess where it ended up? Needless to say, he had to get a new phone and that one hasn't been anywhere near the bathroom!

 

[ckret01]

Be weary of a boss like this, there really is no pleasing them. And I would have said the same thing you did about being in the bathroom. There is NO REASON ON EARTH you should have to be at ANYONE's disposal like that. I don't care WHAT you do unless you're responsible for other people's lives. What happens when you go on vacation or you're out of cell phone usage area??? If you can do anything to get a different job or a different boss I would suggest it. I finally had enough of it and actually moved out of state to better my quality of life. I wouldn't have found another job in my field had I stayed in the area I was living in.

Good luck and don't let work or your boss rule your life. It's not worth it in the end.

Thank you!

And to answer one of your comments...I was just told the other day when I go on vacation next month at Disney I have to call in 2 times a day to check in and see what is going on. And if my cell doesn't have service I must find a phone and call him. or I will be in trouble big time.

And going forward I can only take vacation during the months of June, July, Nov and Dec. Because he feels that is the slower times of the year for the kind of business we are in...(but he has a trip booked to Turks and Caicos in Feb...I do as he says not as he does!!!!!)

 

[RadioFanatic]

maybe it's time for a new job. I had a job like that - had to call twice a day on vacation. And once when I was in Europe for a week and a half, I got yelled at b/c I didn't leave my numbers. And this was for a business with 60+ supposedly smart people who should be able to figure out any dilemma. So I changed to a job with only 11 people but that refuse to let me call on vacations b/c they know they can call me if there is an issue - but you know what? they never have.

 

[VickiVM]

Thank you!

And to answer one of your comments...I was just told the other day when I go on vacation next month at Disney I have to call in 2 times a day to check in and see what is going on. And if my cell doesn't have service I must find a phone and call him. or I will be in trouble big time.

And going forward I can only take vacation during the months of June, July, Nov and Dec. Because he feels that is the slower times of the year for the kind of business we are in...(but he has a trip booked to Turks and Caicos in Feb...I do as he says not as he does!!!!!)

The requirement to check in even during vacation might be a H/R issue. What the heck are you going to do for him while riding Text Track??

Seriously - these kinds of job demands can literally ruin your life. They're stressful, demeaning to you and just not what being a good empoyer is about. I don't think I'm alone in suggesting that you might consider beginning a new job search. I'm speaking from experience. I'd rather be flat broke than work in that kind of environment. Oh, yeah...I am flat broke because I did leave that sort of environment. But happy and a better parent and wife because of it!! (I am job searching though since the kids are back in school.)

 

[OceanAnnie]

One way to solve that problem is to go to a joke store and purchase a whoopee cushion. Next time he calls you at home, use the whoopee cushion during a few well placed breaks in the conversation and then flush the toilet. Bet he will change his thinking.

I know, I have a warped sense of humor.

I like this!

Seriously, your boss thinks it's ok for him to follow you into the bathroom?! Are you supposed to drop everything in there for him?

It just sounds like he has an inflated sense of himself. I think I'd use the whoopie cushion everytime he called.

I'd be looking for another job. He's wacko.