Community Chat

[CrazyKittyLvr2]

I worked in a small office.  The long time employees didn't misuse their cell phones for personal calls.  

Two new hires were a different story.  One had a daughter in college 35 miles away. The kid called 3 or 4 times a day.  Everyday. If Mom didn't answer her cell (because she was in bathroom, on the phone with a client) daughter immediately called the office.  It was never an emergency. I heard Mom ask her once if she ate breakfast and did she take her sneakers.  If she can't feed herself and remember her shoes maybe she shouldn't be on her own at school.

The other texted all day long.  She had 5 kids and it was not unusual to have one call her cell and one call the office because they were fighting.

If there is a good reason to call or get a call fine, but it was just totally out of control.  The boss was oblivious.

[Porcelain]

Nowadays bosses know how much personal time you spend while you're supposed to be working. But they also measure how productive you are. They get reports on both. Productivity and efficiency count for more. It's expected that you might pay a bill or buy something or talk to your child during downtime, especially during a lunch hour or break.

If you get your work done and are extremely productive, as long as you don't surf anywhere sketchy or unprofessional or ignore business communications, they'll let it go until the time spent gets excessive. Now if you're not contributing much, they'll use it as one of many reasons to write you up and eventually get rid of you.

[Meowingkitty]

There are just some times personal business has to be done on company time because of the hours of each place. As long as it wasn't abused most bosses I've had really didn't care. Lunches and breaks didn't always work because many times who you needed to call was also on lunch. Now as far as kids are concerned, people need to reign that in. Once or twice a day is fine but not several times a day. I once worked with a girl who's husband was extremely jealous and he would call every hour to check on her. My personal phone was just that, my personal phone. I would not give out the number to anyone who could call me regarding work. If you wanted me you could call me during normal business hours. My last company tried to get us to use our personal phones for business but I would not give them the number. My opinion is I worked 7.5 hours a day. After that I was free to do what I wanted. 

[riley1]

@fortune - Personal phones had to be turned off. They could be used on your own lunch time. If they had to check on a child or there was an emergency, the office phone could be used.

It was not a huge office so it was easier to control. Threatening to quit if you could not use a cell phone while on company time didn't fly with hubby - he would gladly show them the door, lol.

And, he did have cameras installed in the warehouse section due to theft, so it worked for that as well.

[SunSprite]

Exactly what @Porcelain  said. 

Depending on the type of job, most medium to large departments have metrics or set standards that are expected to be met for productivity and quality. If the employee is not meeting, it definitely shows. 

Where I work it's all electronic and our primary system tracks everything. We also use multiple systems to cross reference. It's not so easy to slack as it may seem to be.

[cindyNC]

Before I retired I worked for an international company.  In our locat office the emails of people on vacation would be forwarded to me.  I had 3 people forward emails at one time and counted 150 non-work related emails in one week.  

Eventually the company blocked use of personal email accounts - phone wise I'm not sure what the policy was as I didn't qualify for a company phone. The company was so large that I doubt they checked every phone call but I know lots were made and received using out company 800 number. 

[Laura14]

I actually have the opposite complaint.  Coworkers and bosses calling me at home on my personal phone on weekends or off days. 

You want me available 24/7, pay me a salary commensurate with it and give me a company phone.  My personal phone + my personal time = I am not on the clock for you  

[qvcfreak]

Our bosses are rarely in the office but I've never been one to be on the phone. I may get a text here and there but never on the phone with anyone. 

We have a co-worker who is always on the phone to the point where it's distracting to others and sometimes the calls are very personal. We've brought it up but they don't do anything about it. And her work is awful but nothing we can do.

[Spurt]

@fortune 

Use of personal cell phones for personal calls/texting/playing games etc and also using work computers to access personal social media accounts got so out of hand its now a company rule--- if you are caught doing this when you should be working you can be FIRED!!!! (we are in an "at will" State which means an employer doesnt even have to give a reason to terminate your employment..)  And there are reports that track each employee's activities....

[Spurt]

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@Meowingkitty wrote:

There are just some times personal business has to be done on company time because of the hours of each place. As long as it wasn't abused most bosses I've had really didn't care. Lunches and breaks didn't always work because many times who you needed to call was also on lunch. Now as far as kids are concerned, people need to reign that in. Once or twice a day is fine but not several times a day. I once worked with a girl who's husband was extremely jealous and he would call every hour to check on her. My personal phone was just that, my personal phone. I would not give out the number to anyone who could call me regarding work. If you wanted me you could call me during normal business hours. My last company tried to get us to use our personal phones for business but I would not give them the number. My opinion is I worked 7.5 hours a day. After that I was free to do what I wanted. 

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@Meowingkitty 

If there is a personal "emergency" (sick child/relative) or a dire call that needs to be made....then you have to clear it with the Boss and use the landline phone at their desk to make the call (and with the Boss right there it makes sure the call is short and sweet---if something comes up more involved then you are told to take vacation time to handle it out of the work place, or take FMLA if it qualifies...)