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When I worked for someone else I was available during work hours which were also the hours I got paid for. There is/was nothing so important to be pestered while I have a day off or am on vacation.
Work for me is much like the internet, once I click that little red X in the top right corner the internet does not exist and once I walked out of the office door the office did not exist.
If you don't have an important job that others rely on what you do. But for the rest of those who don't simply come into the office, grab coffee and keep the seat warm, a business does need to continue and there are others and clients who depend on your work. That is, if your work was important to begin with, not just sitting around there taking up space.
How do you feel about this? Should work call or text you with questions on your day off? When does it cross the line if you are an hourly employee, even if you're in some type of leadership role.
It depends on the number of times contacted and for how long each event takes. If it is just a single question, and you can answer it in one minute, no one should object to that. But if it ends up taking a couple of hours each day of your vacation on a regular basis, then they need to provide a backup for when you aren't there. If it is a very small business and a start-up, then you have to expect this regardless. Many key people in start-ups don't take vacation for a couple of years until things get going.
It's a reality of many jobs in today's world. Unless you're pretty much an assembly line worker, you're going to get calls. Few organizations are staffed well enough to cover when someone is out. The real question is whether they are calling for important things that can't wait or calling over trivia. In 37 years I've never held a job that didn't have some level of phone calls after hours. The ones that actually mattered never bothered me. What frustrated me were the calls from bosses who couldn't handle even simple things like saving a document in Word. Or having to walk them through changing a font in PowerPoint. (I've had some great bosses, but I've had some real losers too.)
How do you feel about this? Should work call or text you with questions on your day off? When does it cross the line if you are an hourly employee, even if you're in some type of leadership role.
For me it happens nearly every day and I don't have a problem with it. I'd rather know what's going on then be kept in the dark.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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As a manager I expect to be contacted sometimes when off, but it's rare, and would have to be extreme circumstances. This weekend, for example, I have one person that I approved for Monday and Wednesday off, but he wasn't sure yet that he would take the trip. He is supposed to text e I he does go so I know whether to expect him Monday or not.
When after hours calls are billable time, somehow they drop off in frequency
Are you salaried or hourly?
When I was an hourly contractor, I was happy to get a phone call on my day off; just answering the phone guaranteed a minimum of 1.5 hours billable, usually at overtime rates
How do you feel about this? Should work call or text you with questions on your day off? When does it cross the line if you are an hourly employee, even if you're in some type of leadership role.
I had it happen on rare occasions. Thankfully I am not in a leadership position anymore and don't get irritating calls also.
If it is something I can handle easily, I take care of it right then.
If it is more involved, I let them know I'll handle it when I get back in the office.
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When after hours calls are billable time, somehow they drop off in frequency
