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How do you concentrate on your own work tasks when the person in the cubicle next to you is yammering LOUDLY on the phone with their loved ones? That is disruptive and it does affect productivity.
Seriously? Are we that sensitive that we can't tune someone out? Seems to me if the so called offender is that loud and disruptive, a supervisor would notice it and correct it.
Personally, I never spent much time on the phone when not work related, but I wouldn't have wanted to work in an office where personal calls were completely discouraged either. Again, if the offender is getting their job done, and supervisors aren't picking up on it, perhaps the problem resides elsewhere. Look in a mirror.
The same goes for working in an office where supervisors let personnel distract others, who needs that?
Seriously, if the calls are that distracting, perhaps you could go to a supervisor, and ask to be moved?
Seriously? Are we that sensitive that we can't tune someone out? Seems to me if the so called offender is that loud and disruptive, a supervisor would notice it and correct it.
Personally, I never spent much time on the phone when not work related, but I wouldn't have wanted to work in an office where personal calls were completely discouraged either. Again, if the offender is getting their job done, and supervisors aren't picking up on it, perhaps the problem resides elsewhere. Look in a mirror.
I agree. It's clear that few people here have ever worked in a newsroom. In the course of me reading this thread, I've heard so many bits of conversations and people on the phone doing interviews, etc., it becomes background noise. Someone asking a source a question and a parent trying to find out who's picking up who later just all blends together after a while.
I'm also a salaried employee who doesn't clock in and out or have scheduled 15-minute breaks. My employee has no problem asking me to stay past 5 with no extra pay and even working some on Saturday and Sunday. So, if I have a spare few minutes at 2:42 p.m on a Tuesday I might pick up the phone to figure out what we want to do for dinner. But phone calls aren't really an issue for me. Email on the other hand...LOL
I know some women at work who get multiple calls a day at work from their boyfriends or husbands . Unless its an emergency, I find this extremely unprofessional. Some even get calls from other family or friends. u should be doing your work.
Not sure if that would be a proper use of company time. Then again for someone who is concerned with a co-workers use of company time I am wondering what time of day do you work? You seem to be posting quite a bit. Are you doing that on company time?
It's different for me, being in sales, as long as you hit quota they don't care much besides I would use my personal cell phone so why would the company care?
In my office, the people who take personal calls numerous times a day (and not just 2-second yes-I'm-picking-up-the-kids calls, but lengthy fights with family members, calling doctors on their not-employed boyfriend's behalf, etc.) are also the ones who complain that they have so much to do, are so busy, and give excuses why the very reasonable task that I asked them to complete couldn't possibly be done this morning (yes it could have if you didn't just spend 15 minutes on the phone). It also prevents me from checking in with them -- "where is this document . . . oh wait, you're on the phone, sorry" and then go back to my office and overhear a lengthy conversation with kid about how you should really take classes while working and make something of yourself and have to wait to get a legitimate business task completed.
The only way you should take time away from work to do personal things outside of a break (doesn't count as your break if it takes longer than your break) is if you are truly an exempt professional (don't get paid by the hour or overtime -- also galls me when these people put in for overtime when they wouldn't have to if they spent all of their real work time working) AND you get all of your work done (because then you are giving your employer what they pay you for). Otherwise, you do get paid for your time and if you aren't working, you shouldn't get paid.
After I'd worked for a law firm for TEN YEARS, I was fired because of phone calls from DH.
DH only called to touch base a couple of times a day. I answered the phone, and it had NEVER been a problem. The firm had a happy, family atmosphere back then, and my boss would laugh and good naturedly joke about who got more personal calls from our spouses. A call from a spouse would warrant putting a quarter in the happy hour jar (when the senior partner was out of the office, he'd sometimes let me and the few others break an hour or so early on a Friday and we'd all go to the local pub for a beer).
Why on earth would your husband need to call a couple of times a day? What do you have to touch base on every few hours?
You still at work?
Yup...
Okay.
Me again- still working?
Uh huh...
Okay see you at dinner...
I could understand ONE call on YOUR lunch to your own personal cell phone, but other than that, don't see much point.
My husband and I RARELY, if ever, call each other at work, and even then if we do, it's for an important reason. Like today, my husband's clutch stopped working and he couldn't shift into third gear. He called to ask me where the warranty information was, and then he took the car in, and was taken to a rental car place, so when it was all said and done he called to say the car's in the shop, he's got a rental, and we'll know in a few days exactly what the problem is. And to beg me to let him rent the Charger over the Rio lol. Each phone call was less than 2 minutes. But other than that, calls are rare. There is just no point to call and "check in" IMO.
Frankly I think people do abuse their phones a tad at work...
Why on earth would your husband need to call a couple of times a day? What do you have to touch base on every few hours?
You still at work?
Yup...
Okay.
Me again- still working?
Uh huh...
Okay see you at dinner...
I could understand ONE call on YOUR lunch to your own personal cell phone, but other than that, don't see much point.
My husband and I RARELY, if ever, call each other at work, and even then if we do, it's for an important reason. Like today, my husband's clutch stopped working and he couldn't shift into third gear. He called to ask me where the warranty information was, and then he took the car in, and was taken to a rental car place, so when it was all said and done he called to say the car's in the shop, he's got a rental, and we'll know in a few days exactly what the problem is. And to beg me to let him rent the Charger over the Rio lol. Each phone call was less than 2 minutes. But other than that, calls are rare. There is just no point to call and "check in" IMO.
Frankly I think people do abuse their phones a tad at work...
I've wondered this too with a few people at work. A call during lunch I can get if you just want to talk about your day. Multiple phone calls in a single day....not gonna happen. What are you asking....what is for dinner? This is work....it is not time to plan dinner.
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