My work just wont leave me alone!

motorguy

InNeedOfAdviceAboutWork wrote: »

No it's not just staff, it's staff and business owners...

I'm not salaried. I am management, but with non of the management ties in this position. As I said before, if that side was different, I wouldn't even be here in the first place.

Examples of what I get called about are:

1. I've seen the note in the diary, I'm going to sort the issue, what is it? What should I do? (Tells you right in the note you claim to have read)
2. Have you seen the keys? I put them in the cupboard, But I can't see them. (Oh look they're in the cupboard where you put them!!!)
3. (Day off - clearly marked on Rota) - Are you in today?
4. I know you're off sick, but can you cover me I'm not feeling well...... (No!)
5. Do you have such and such's number? (There's a diary right next to the phone they're calling me from with all the numbers in! they had to go to the list to get mine!!)
6. Have you done the rotas for the next couple of weeks yet ? (Are they up there? Answer is pretty clear then isn't it)
7. (On holiday 1500 miles away) Can you send this guy an invoice? He just asked for one on the way out. (No ... but you could have printed one off on the spot!)
8. Someone phoned to book a table, I need you to call them immediately to sort this please (Owner of the business @ 8am ... I'm still in bed because I aint due in ..... *facepalm*)

It's just ridiculous trivial things, from people who all have been shown what to do, and in the owners cases have been doing far longer than I've worked for them.

They're asking because you let them. They're like badly trained puppies.

Switch your phone off, with a message explaining when you next will be checking and when you next will be able to return a call. Same with your email.

They'll whinge and whimper and bark about it for a while but they'll soon get the message

My wife runs a call centre and has 1,000 staff working under her. Her managers would be on the phone nightly and over the weekends too if she let them, but she has them trained not to.

If they do have some reason to call that when they've left a message she deems it required that she intervenes, she'll respond, then sit down with them next working day to ensure the processes are in place / being followed that prevent an escalation to her next time.

FBaby

They call you because you respond and sort our their issues. Just stop doing it and they will have to make do. If they find you indispensable, they are not going to want you to go, so will have to adapt to your requirements when you're off.

To be honest, in my organisation, you do have people who genuinely don't mind being contact when off and some bosses much rather that as they get anxious that something can happen when they're away. Others made it clear from the start that they won't pick up any calls/emails, so they don't get contacted. Have you actually said very seriously that you don't want to be contacted at all, or could it be that they believe you don't mind?

DCFC79

InNeedOfAdviceAboutWork wrote: »

Examples of what I get called about are:

1. I've seen the note in the diary, I'm going to sort the issue, what is it? What should I do? (Tells you right in the note you claim to have read)
2. Have you seen the keys? I put them in the cupboard, But I can't see them. (Oh look they're in the cupboard where you put them!!!)
3. (Day off - clearly marked on Rota) - Are you in today?
4. I know you're off sick, but can you cover me I'm not feeling well...... (No!)
5. Do you have such and such's number? (There's a diary right next to the phone they're calling me from with all the numbers in! they had to go to the list to get mine!!)
6. Have you done the rotas for the next couple of weeks yet ? (Are they up there? Answer is pretty clear then isn't it)
7. (On holiday 1500 miles away) Can you send this guy an invoice? He just asked for one on the way out. (No ... but you could have printed one off on the spot!)
8. Someone phoned to book a table, I need you to call them immediately to sort this please (Owner of the business @ 8am ... I'm still in bed because I aint due in ..... *facepalm*)

They look like really simple tasks to do.

Id want to know why the situations arise in the examples given, is it because they aren't confident in what they do.

elisebutt65

I get called n to cover classes, but I'm contracted at 50%' so I go to Uni and do marking etc on my time off so I can have a life at weekends. Last term this got really bad as I was being called to cover at least one day a week. So I've assigned the work number as a contact and just 'block ' the number when I leave work, until I'm back in again. When I was off sick, I was expected to provide full written lessons and activities. Er no.... I'm off with a major kidney infection (in hospital). I'm not getting a laptop out now on the ward and planning lessons. It's not like there aren't fully trained teachers available.
Yet when I last did a days cover I was expected to do all the planning. They can't have it both ways. So now I just don't answer my phone or check my emails to work.

getmore4less

Sounds like the place needs a manager.

Most of the list are signs of a dysfunctional place that no one know what is going on.

how big is this place?

how many people?

What are the hours of operation?

What is the reporting structure.

getmore4less

lets pick one.

Have you done the rotas for the next couple of weeks yet ? (Are they up there? Answer is pretty clear then isn't it)

do they really mean the next couple of weeks or later?
why are they asking?
why are the rotas for the next couple of weeks not done?
How far in advance are the rotas done.
How consistent is the rota issued(same day time or variable)

People need to know when they are supposed to be working well in advance so they can plan their lives.

Mersey_2

Bogalot wrote: »

I think the confusion in responses is that people are expecting you to be in a senior management role. Perhaps edit your first post to reflect that you're a shop manager

To be fair, Sir Philip Green or Phillip Clarke could be either too.


I know a supermarket manager who earns more than a Solicitor for example and I don't begrudge that as they experienced an armed robbery once, so it is a senior responsible position involving a lot of £.


OP - contact out of hours by an employer, especially abroad on holiday and at home of sick are usually classified as examples of bullying in most Staff Handbooks, as well ad having been examples of such at Tribunal. Switch off literally seems to be the answer.

dlmcr

Your problems are of your own making.

Your staff are badly trained and unable to think for themselves and you are re-inforcing this by responding to them inappropriately when they contact you. Why would they ever stop contacting you if they always get what they want?

Next time you get a call like that respond cooly and calmy not to contact you again on your day / evening / whatever off unless it is a life or death emergency and then finish the communication by hanging up.

Keep repeating this until the message sinks in.

They will gradually learn to think for themselves.

I would suggest training but if the list you have provided is typical of the "issues" it is that simple that they don't want want to think for themselves because they have you on call 24 7 to think for them.

happyandcontented

Those examples are really trivial, it seems to me that you don't have a clearly defined distance from your staf in your role. I would never call my manager for anything like any of those issues, and none of my team would call me. You need to sit them down and explain what is acceptable to call about and what isn't. Staff training is key here.

With regard to your own boss, second phone or put a strict out of hours message on and don't answer if they call.

Hedgehog99

Your staff are snowflakes, unable to step back and think for themselves.

Sounds as if all the info they need is to hand. Check there are no missing sets of instructions for tasks they do less often.

Get them to prepare "what if?" flow charts - it'll help them realise what they do know and that they can be self-sufficient without you.

I used to get bizarre emails from my boss when I was on holiday. I didn't see them until I got back, but I had been asked to do tasks for which I didn't have the relevant/complete info with me and which my boss should have known how to do anyway - I had provided blank forms and instructions in the past.

It's just their easiest option to ask you - turn it round so the easiest option is to think for themselves and follow established rules because no help will be forthcoming from you while you are OOtO.