Ignoring work texts

[Pixiedustaway]

I see that most people disagree with me. That's fine.

 

[llcoolj]

I see that most people disagree with me. That's fine.

I'm not sure that I understand why that has you so riled up that you posted about it in the first place. If you are in the US, yesterday was a major federal holiday and many people make plans. Unless you were sitting next to the guy, you have no idea what he was doing or where. If you are in just a regular office environment, I can't come up with a scenario that would necessitate calling in an hourly worker on Memorial Day. Are you just frustrated that you answered the text and had to work?

 

[Pixiedustaway]

I'm not sure that I understand why that has you so riled up that you posted about it in the first place. If you are in the US, yesterday was a major federal holiday and many people make plans. Unless you were sitting next to the guy, you have no idea what he was doing or where. If you are in just a regular office environment, I can't come up with a scenario that would necessitate calling in an hourly worker on Memorial Day. Are you just frustrated that you answered the text and had to work?

Who's riled up? I asked a simple question and responded to the questions. We work on holidays here. Yes I'm in the us and welol aware there was a holiday yesterday. I was scheduled to work so i did. End of story.

 

[llcoolj]

Who's riled up? I asked a simple question and responded to the questions. We work on holidays here. Yes I'm in the us and welol aware there was a holiday yesterday. I was scheduled to work so i did. End of story.

Great! He wasn't scheduled to work and didn't. No need for any story.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Not on call. But imo should have answered. We all text so we know he got it. I just think ignoring your boss is rude and unprofessional. But the guys had like 6 jobs in 4 years so it's not surprising

How do you know he read the text?

Me, Never ever would I be attached to my work in that regard.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Who's riled up? I asked a simple question and responded to the questions. We work on holidays here. Yes I'm in the us and welol aware there was a holiday yesterday. I was scheduled to work so i did. End of story.

Wait I'm confused. You said office environment and then said retail....so if you don't mind me asking just what is your company then? Or at least more of a description.

 

[Pixiedustaway]

Great! He wasn't scheduled to work and didn't. No need for any story.

Wait I'm confused. You said office environment and then said retail....so if you don't mind me asking just what is your company then? Or at least more of a description.

Mattress chain. Locations all over the country.

 

[cabanafrau]

Maybe he truly didn't receive the text. I have had texts, both incoming and outgoing, that never made it to their destination for some reason.

Also, yesterday was Memorial Day, a holiday, maybe he turned his phone off for the day. I know I don't have my phone attached to me 24 hours a day, many times it's not in the same room with me and I wouldn't even hear it go off. If it was me and it was my scheduled day off and I didn't hear a text come in, sorry but I do have a life outside of work. If it was so important that this person should come in on his day off, a phone CALL should have been made, not simply a text.

I remember when I worked (waitress) I was at one time on a work 9 days in a row followed by 1 day off schedule. If my boss called me on my one day off, I generally didn't bother to answer (thank goodness for caller I.D.). She was notorious for guilting you into coming in when she needed someone to cover a shift. I didn't want to deal with that so just didn't answer. She'd get mad when people (it wasn't just me) wouldn't answer her calls, but we found it funny that SHE didn't even have a cell phone, she said she "didn't want to be that accessible." Yet she was the owner of the restaurant. Well, if SHE didn't want to be that accessible, neither did we!

Depending what we're doing for the weekend, especially a holiday weekend, we might be at a spot where we either turn our phone off to avoid international roaming charges or in an area where it's challenging to get cell coverage period. This weekend we spent significant time out doing yardwork without our phones. When we came into the house for some water or a bite to eat our phones weren't a priority. I know I had a couple texts from friends that I didn't respond to for six hours or more because that's when I looked at my phone again. If I were the coworker in OP's situation there would have been little point to me responding to a ten a.m. text after four. And if I had head's up from the message about the next day & didn't want to work the shift & wasn't on call, I'd be ignoring that one too.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Mattress chain. Locations all over the country.

Ok thanks. I'm still confused then. A mattress chain is retail work for sure but you described it as "We all just normal office workers. It's a laid back office" so what then is your coworkers job then? It is to be a sales person, cashier, back office like HR department or purchasing, etc?

 

[Bren's Mom]

Unless they pay for the cell phone/service, or house phone, or any other means of communication, one has every right to ignore texts/calls.

My dh's work pays for his cell phone. He answers it when they call, every time. Even on vacation. They don't abuse it.

My work doesn't pay for mine, but I work for a public safety agency. I'm not 'essential' and usually not called in, but if they call or text and I can answer I do. If I can go in to help, I also do that. My work doesn't abuse this either. If I'm on vacation, I generally ask my boss to text if it's a quick question, and he does. That makes it easy to answer and keep going about my vacation. But...I don't feel obligated to do this. I do it because I'm loyal to my department/employer, they treat me well.

 

[soccerdad72]

Is it human nature or conditioning. Does it really matter if in the long run if someone takes their time off and is actually off? People who work longer hours tend to be less productive and make more mistakes.

I suppose conditioning is probably a better term for it. And I agree that allowing people to be off and completely away from work is best over the long run. Still, if you're in a business where people are periodically asked to come into work during their off time, whether it's right or not, the people who volunteer to work extra shifts are going to be viewed better than those who regularly refuse to.

 

[DaisyJ]

Who's riled up? I asked a simple question and responded to the questions. We work on holidays here. Yes I'm in the us and welol aware there was a holiday yesterday. I was scheduled to work so i did. End of story.

He wasn't scheduled, so he wasn't bothered with work stuff. End of story.

 

[nkereina]

This is somewhat annoying to me. Now we are obligated to check text messages in order to be considered courteous? If something is important and a response is required, a call should be made. Unless communication via text is the normal method in the workplace, I think it is kind of rude to expect that we all now are responsible for text messages.

I understand that for your environment, text seems to be the normal communication route so my response is not directed at you.

Sorry if I missed it in the thread, but was the individual texted on a work phone or on their personal phone? My post that you quoted was assuming that the individual was texted by their boss on their personal phone, and did not reply. If it was a personal phone, I would highly doubt the individual did not look at it or see it, and therefore I would consider the lack of response to be discourteous. But if it was a work phone, then I could see how it would be entirely possible they didn't get the text on their day off, and therefore I would find the lack of response to be understandable and wouldn't have a problem with it.

 

[Jennasis]

Why was he needed so last minute on a holiday weekend? What happened to the folks who were supposed to be working.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Unless they pay for the cell phone/service, or house phone, or any other means of communication, one has every right to ignore texts/calls.

This for sure. Only my boss has my cell phone number. She has a work issued phone. I will text her if I'm sick or going to be late. So maybe 3-4 times a year.
No one else at work has it. None of our personal contact information if known outside HR and immediate supervisor.

 

[jaminmd]

Not on call. But imo should have answered. We all text so we know he got it. I just think ignoring your boss is rude and unprofessional. But the guys had like 6 jobs in 4 years so it's not surprising

I've only gotten as far as this post but I must politely disagree. As a person who is CONSTANTLY bugged at home (and gets no on call pay or time and am not required to be on call), I find the lack of boundaries from my boss and colleagues appalling.

They need to wait or figure it out themselves. I've had it with calls on my off hours and I told my boss that. Bluntly. I also told them all NOT to bug me while on vacation.

 

[jaminmd]

So? He has every right to blow it off if he isn't on call.

Absolutely.

 

[jaminmd]

I own my own business so I can't speak for myself but I will for my husband. He values his job and watches as they change how they rank and evaluate workers. He wants to be seen as valuable, and he is.

A couple of years back, they asked him to run a plant in another state for ten months. He drove home (five hours) every weekend. One Sunday, we were heading to a historic theater in a big city to attend a movie premiere and he got a text that there was a big fire at the plant. He instantly left to go to the plant to oversee the situation. I wasn't surprised. He sees his role as part of his identity and it doesn't end Friday at 5pm. Sometimes the boss might send an email on the weekend and ask for some data calculations. It becomes his priority. His name has never been on the chopping block and he gets big bonuses and big raises...every year.

He considers himself blessed to have the work.

I'm glad this works for him, really. However, IMO, this is an unhealthy situation. Been there, done that. Won't EVER do it again.

Sorry, this is a hot button for me.

 

[Pkltm]

Not on call. But imo should have answered. We all text so we know he got it. I just think ignoring your boss is rude and unprofessional. But the guys had like 6 jobs in 4 years so it's not surprising

No he just choose to ignore both texts. Yes he's under no obligation but he will have a story to go along with why he didn't get it. That's all. Just frustrating you know?


Retail. We are open weekends and holidays. No one does a 9-5 shift.

So how do you know that he ignored the texts? Did you speak to him?

He could of been out of town, at a family thing, or picking his nose. Unless you know specifically that he "ignored" the texts, you shouldn't judge. My son was working at Dominos, he got called one day to go in, he didnt check his voicemail right away as we were at a funeral, the manger just managed with the people he had and never judged or even asked why the call was not returned immediately.

I do HR for a company and I would not expect someone to answer a text unless we paid for the phone service.

 

[sam_gordon]

Why was he needed so last minute on a holiday weekend? What happened to the folks who were supposed to be working.

I would assume either someone called in sick or they were busier than they thought they would be. I see no problem with asking someone to work on their day off. However, I'm not going to hold it against them if they say "no". On the other hand, as @soccerdad72 points out, those who are willing to pick up extra shifts will be thought more highly of if/when promotions happen.