# Texts in work



## Maryb50 (21 Sep 2017)

Just looking for some perspective. Two days running I had my phone in my back pocket in work, as do my other co-workers. I have children, and it's there if they need to contact me. I don't use it except to text them at 5 or so if they have not texted me to say they are on the way home - I work late. The other night, some lads started hassling my daughter outside the local shop and she was afraid. I couldn't pick as the manager would go mad, but we texted and I told her what to do. Yesterday, I got told that there was a no phone use in work. I explained that I only use it to text to keep in contact with my children after school, and then only once or twice depending on what they are doing, activities etc. I was texting my son at 5.00 to see where he was, and I got another lecture, yet at the same time, another staff member came into the office, and said her mother had just rang her with an urgent query, and five minutes later another staff member was going through their texts during working hours. Other staff often text or phone home quickly - the other manager does this quite a lot. I don't feel I'm being picked on or anything, it's just that I can't have my head completely in work if I am worrying about my children. I have never had this issue before, and I would never abuse texts/phonecalls. To be honest, it would make me think twice about staying - as I was upset the other night when I wasn't able to pick up the phone to my daughter when she was being hassled at our local shop. What are other people's work places like re this issue?


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## Palerider (22 Sep 2017)

Personal Phones are an integral part of the modern world, that includes when you may be on somebody else's clock at work.

When at work this challenges convention and is a major challenge for many employers to manage.

I suggest the phone be left outside the work place, in an emergency can you be contacted at your work place on a landline ?


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## Maryb50 (22 Sep 2017)

It would be very difficult to contact me on a landline at work, as often, because of logistics - difficult to explain without identifying more, the landline often goes unanswered for half an hour or more.


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## Easel (22 Sep 2017)

If you are using your phone as little as you say then just go to the bathroom when you need to use it. Not ideal but needs must.


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## cremeegg (22 Sep 2017)

Maryb50 said:


> it's just that I can't have my head completely in work if I am worrying about my children.



This is your issue, not the phone.


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## mathepac (22 Sep 2017)

Easel said:


> If you are using your phone as little as you say then just go to the bathroom when you need to use it. Not ideal but needs must.


We call them toilets here because you can't have a bath in them. Just like we call scallions scallions and not spring-onions because they're actually scallions.

This is simple; work time is work time, home time is home time, never the twain shall meet. What does official company policy say about mobile phones (or do we call them cells now?) or personal calls? If the policy isn't clear or isn't implemented even-handedly or fairly, I'm not surprised there's confusion. Clearing the confusion can only start at the top.


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## Steven Barrett (22 Sep 2017)

mathepac said:


> We call them toilets here because you can't have a bath in them. Just like we call scallions scallions and not spring-onions because they're actually scallions.
> 
> *This is simple; work time is work time, home time is home time, never the twain shall meet. *What does official company policy say about mobile phones (or do we call them cells now?) or personal calls? If the policy isn't clear or isn't implemented even-handedly or fairly, I'm not surprised there's confusion. Clearing the confusion can only start at the top.



Remind me not to come to you looking for a job.  That's completely unrealistic. If you have a situation with your kid being bullied, you are going to prioritise your family every time. Any employer should be understanding of this too. Maybe Mary's error was not explaining it to her boss first so they may have thought she was on Facebook etc. 

If you work in place that does not understand that these situations arise, you should look for alternative employment. You should enjoy (or at least not hate) going to work. 


Steven 
www.bluewaterfp.ie


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## grenzgebiet (22 Sep 2017)

There are some sites that prohibit use of phones for Safety reasons - same as in planes or hospitals where the fear is that a signal could pose a danger.  Many sites ensure that visitors leave phones at security before entering.
Perhaps the OP works in a similar environment - in which case the employer is behaving in a perfectly understandable manner.
Or perhaps the OP works in a system where a break in concentration would interrupt the work-flow or where a ring-tone would distract other employees or disturb customers ?  
There are numerous reasons for not permitting personal phone usage in the workplace - and if company policy dictates that they are not permitted then an employer is perfectly within their rights to enforce this.


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## mtk (22 Sep 2017)

Easel said:


> If you are using your phone as little as you say then just go to the bathroom when you need to use it. Not ideal but needs must.



i would do this if it was me. 
Management may easily " forget " about the new "no phone rule" in my experience as a new rabbit to chase emerges.


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## Maryb50 (22 Sep 2017)

Hi! Thanks for all the replies. The bathroom idea is good. There is one bathroom with a good signal. There is a signal in one office and spots along the corridors - often when my children text me, I don't get them for about a half an hour, depending on where I am in the building. Re. being in a call centre - no, I work now for a private healthcare company, but not in nursing, so no complex machinery or acute situations. I did explain that I needed to be able to text my children after school if  hadn't heard from them, and also to be able to reply to them if they were in trouble, sick etc., but was still told this was the policy, but the policy seems to only apply to those workers who are not in the 'inner circle! Anyway, there is a Union, but I wouldn't be bothered brining this to them, I don't think I would get anywhere anyway. I was only going to stay in the Company until next June, as I have other plans, which I started making after seeing a colleague there very badly treated by one particular manager. Re my kids, they're not happy with it being so difficult to contact me, it bothers them, particularly when the signal there anyway is so bad, that I often can't get there texts for a long time afterwards. I think I will try to get something a bit earlier than next June!


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## Purple (22 Sep 2017)

If an employee came to be and said they had a to deal with a personal issue for 15 minutes I wouldn't have a problem with it. I think your employer is being very unreasonable.


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## mathepac (23 Sep 2017)

Maryb50 need to phone/text is not the exception, it's her rule. Once off emergencies are one thing, but every school day plus emergencies is taking the mickey, big time. And now she can't have it her way, she's off!!


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## PaddyBloggit (23 Sep 2017)

mathepac said:


> she's off!!



She was off anyway (according to another of Mary's posts).


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## Easeler (23 Sep 2017)

Its hard to juggle work and parenting mary but maybe if you had a chat with the kids and try to make them a bit more independent that they don't need to be texting you all the time. What works for us is we set up a family group on whatsapp and we can check when ever we get a minute at work,my kids used to annoy there mother at work ringing up wheres my Orange top or something stupid but we cut out all that, some people just can't put away the phone.


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## llgon (23 Sep 2017)

Hi Maryb,

Are you sure you haven't been using your phone in work for calling/texting/posting on AAM about the issues you have described over the past few months including:

Your extension built without planning in a grossly negligent manner with subsequent collapse of roof and ongoing legal case.

Running your other business on the side, setting up a new website and subsequent dispute with website designer, war of words with him on social media and possible legal case/injunction for defamation

Invasion of wasps from your very difficult next door neighbour's eaves

Your daughter frequently losing her credit card

Researching and providing advice to your family and friends on issues such as constructive dismissal, income protection, postgraduate education and workplace bullying.

Arranging your children's education including two of them going to school in France for this school year while also trying to get a few weeks of TY in in Ireland

Dealing with your rental property

Volunteering abroad with your children next year

AND Others


My guess would be that your employer might suspect that you need to focus more on the job and think that asking you to not use your phone in work may help with this.


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## Easeler (23 Sep 2017)

This post will be deleted if not edited immediately she has a lot going on all right


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## AlbacoreA (24 Sep 2017)

Maryb50 said:


> J....What are other people's work places like re this issue?...



Sounds like you are not being discrete about it. If no one sees you how would they know. Go somewhere private.


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## AlbacoreA (24 Sep 2017)

mathepac said:


> We call them toilets here because you can't have a bath in them. Just like we call scallions scallions and not spring-onions because they're actually scallions....



The term bathroom is euphemism. 

Who is "we" anyway?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9CV-aQ45VE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhdXJrGr1iM


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## mathepac (24 Sep 2017)

We = Irish people wishing to maintain an identity of our own, those of "us" (Irish people) who have no wish to be or become Western UKites or Eastern Trumpettes.  
Bathroom is an Americanism
youtube is American too - what more can I say?


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## AlbacoreA (24 Sep 2017)

Bit strange using "English" to make that point then. Toilet or Bathroom isn't anything to do with Irish identity. That would be or leithreas or folctha. Though I suppose that is a translation of a english word also. 

Toilet itself is a french word and is actually a euphemism itself. Interestingly the Jacks also seems to an English term.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet_(room)#Names
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet#Etymology



> *Etymology*
> Detail of _Queen Charlotte with her Two Eldest Sons_, Johan Zoffany, 1765, (the whole painting). She is doing her toilet, with her silver-gilt toilet serviceon the dressing-table
> *Toilet* was originally a French loanword (first attested in 1540) that referred to the _toilette_ ("little cloth") draped over one's shoulders during hairdressing.[42] During the late 17th century,[42] the term came to be used by metonymy in both languages for the whole complex of grooming and body care that centered at a dressing table (also covered by a cloth) and for the equipment composing a toilet service, including a mirror, hairbrushes, and containers for powder and makeup. The time spent at such a table also came to be known as one's "toilet"; it came to be a period during which close friends or tradesmen were received as "toilet-calls".[42][45]
> 
> ...


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## newtothis (24 Sep 2017)

From texts at work to etymology of toilet.

Talk bout going off topic.....


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## Maryb50 (24 Sep 2017)

Thanks everyone for the replies. I was only talking about a 30 second text - Are you ok? Where r u? roughly about twice a day - not 15 minutes for family drama. I am happy to look for a less stringent workplace, as it's not worth the stress of worrying that my kids are unable to contact me if there is an issue, or I am not able to check on where they are via text after school. Re somebody said about chasing the rabbit - I'm sure this is the case - this policy was never stringent before, and it doesn't seem to apply to some, but it's the new focus for now!


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## Early Riser (24 Sep 2017)

newtothis said:


> From texts at work to etymology of toilet.



I am not sure if "ethmology" is allowed, as it is of Greek origin (apparently). 

Why not "Getting to the bottom of it" ?


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## cremeegg (24 Sep 2017)

mathepac said:


> We = Irish people wishing to maintain an identity of our own, those of "us" (Irish people) who have no wish to be or become Western UKites or Eastern Trumpettes.
> Bathroom is an Americanism
> youtube is American too - what more can I say?



Seomra folcadh, bfheidir.


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## lff12 (12 Nov 2017)

Sadly, having worked for call centers for many years, there is a hard line drawn about use of mobile phones.
Just pop outside for a few minutes to ring your caller back - if its just a short 10-15 call generally this is reasonable.  Just as long as its reasonable and not excessive. (Like 2-3 hours a day every day - which I HAVE seen!!)


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