Do you have to provide a personal mobile phone number if/when asked?

B0bbyEwing

Now for the pedantic reading this, yes I'm aware you don't technically 'have' to do anything at work, you can say no to absolutely anything & everything, but then you wouldn't last very long & I think you know what I mean with the thread title.

It also wouldn't surprise me if you have to give some form of phone contact as part of your employment. I haven't paid too much attention to that - because I've actually supplied this without any grumble. They have my home phone and my OH's number for emergencies.

I'm asking this because I currently have a works mobile phone but I'm expecting that to change in the near future (I suspect they'll soon as for it back). This will leave me as uncontactable 'on the spot'. 
I should point out that it isn't a requirement as per my contract to be contactable on the spot.

I imagine they'll then ask for my personal mobile number (this isn't just a random feeling by the way, there's good reason for me to suspect this) which I don't wish to give out.

Why? I just don't want to be contactable on the spot. In my eyes if they want to reach me they can contact the department manager who's always within reach of all of us in the department and contact me that way. When I'm outside of work then I don't want to be reminded of work. I don't want work chat groups pinging away (yes I know you can mute them but I also don't want the faff of muting, unmuting, muting again) or being called when I'm off (there is no 'on call' so i wouldn't be avoiding that. The contract doesn't mention they can call you in on days off). When I'm off work I just want to forget work, not have it in my hand/pocket throughout the day.

And like I said, they would have means of contacting me at work (via manager) and at home (via home phone) so it's not as though I'd be blocking that off.

Just wondered if you can fairly say no to a personal number request?

When they wanted my email address I created one just for work purposes so nothing work related came to my main inbox. But that's free. I don't fancy going out & buying a cheap phone just to please work.

Voyager2002

Don't refuse... simply say that you don't have a mobile.

B0bbyEwing

Voyager2002 said:

Don't refuse... simply say that you don't have a mobile.

Not an option I'm afraid. 
Or at least it is, but I may as well say something like I have 2 heads because they'll know that's a lie also.

Voyager2002

B0bbyEwing said:

Voyager2002 said:

Don't refuse... simply say that you don't have a mobile.

Not an option I'm afraid. 
Or at least it is, but I may as well say something like I have 2 heads because they'll know that's a lie also.

Unless you use your personal mobile to keep in touch with people at work, you can tell some story about how it fell into the water and you can't afford to replace it immediately.

BikingBud

You don't have to answer the phone, I know that for some leaving a phone ringing would not be possible but it's not obligatory, unless being paid for the privilege, to be available at their beck and call!

B0bbyEwing

Voyager2002 said:

B0bbyEwing said:

Voyager2002 said:

Don't refuse... simply say that you don't have a mobile.

Not an option I'm afraid. 
Or at least it is, but I may as well say something like I have 2 heads because they'll know that's a lie also.

Unless you use your personal mobile to keep in touch with people at work, you can tell some story about how it fell into the water and you can't afford to replace it immediately.

They've literally seen me with the phone. They're also not the type of company to 1) believe that 2) accept that as an answer. 

I'll happily make a story up but it has to be believable & not on the lines of my dog ate my homework. 

And for I could just refuse to answer it - that's still giving them my number. It's still being put in to group chats (which I should point out isn't a contractual requirement) & getting notifications. 

What I'm asking about is just flat out not giving them the number. 

GingerTim

Perhaps speak to your union rep if you have one - they may some standard formulation for not giving out your personal number for work purposes.

What sector do you work in? There's an argument that in some work-related communication (officially) should not be done on a personal device.

Emmia

B0bbyEwing said:

Now for the pedantic reading this, yes I'm aware you don't technically 'have' to do anything at work, you can say no to absolutely anything & everything, but then you wouldn't last very long & I think you know what I mean with the thread title.

It also wouldn't surprise me if you have to give some form of phone contact as part of your employment. I haven't paid too much attention to that - because I've actually supplied this without any grumble. They have my home phone and my OH's number for emergencies.

I'm asking this because I currently have a works mobile phone but I'm expecting that to change in the near future (I suspect they'll soon as for it back). This will leave me as uncontactable 'on the spot'. 
I should point out that it isn't a requirement as per my contract to be contactable on the spot.

I imagine they'll then ask for my personal mobile number (this isn't just a random feeling by the way, there's good reason for me to suspect this) which I don't wish to give out.

Why? I just don't want to be contactable on the spot. In my eyes if they want to reach me they can contact the department manager who's always within reach of all of us in the department and contact me that way. When I'm outside of work then I don't want to be reminded of work. I don't want work chat groups pinging away (yes I know you can mute them but I also don't want the faff of muting, unmuting, muting again) or being called when I'm off (there is no 'on call' so i wouldn't be avoiding that. The contract doesn't mention they can call you in on days off). When I'm off work I just want to forget work, not have it in my hand/pocket throughout the day.

And like I said, they would have means of contacting me at work (via manager) and at home (via home phone) so it's not as though I'd be blocking that off.

Just wondered if you can fairly say no to a personal number request?

When they wanted my email address I created one just for work purposes so nothing work related came to my main inbox. But that's free. I don't fancy going out & buying a cheap phone just to please work.

I think if they want you to be contactable, they need to provide the phone.

If you must have a second number, does your phone support dual SIMs? Get a cheap PAYG SIM or an Esim and give them that number, and set the ringtone/message alert to something distinctive you can ignore if you want.

jackieblack

I’ve occasionally given the wrong numberout ‘accidentally’ (😉) , maybe by transposing a coupl of digits…

B0bbyEwing

Emmia said:

B0bbyEwing said:

Now for the pedantic reading this, yes I'm aware you don't technically 'have' to do anything at work, you can say no to absolutely anything & everything, but then you wouldn't last very long & I think you know what I mean with the thread title.

It also wouldn't surprise me if you have to give some form of phone contact as part of your employment. I haven't paid too much attention to that - because I've actually supplied this without any grumble. They have my home phone and my OH's number for emergencies.

I'm asking this because I currently have a works mobile phone but I'm expecting that to change in the near future (I suspect they'll soon as for it back). This will leave me as uncontactable 'on the spot'. 
I should point out that it isn't a requirement as per my contract to be contactable on the spot.

I imagine they'll then ask for my personal mobile number (this isn't just a random feeling by the way, there's good reason for me to suspect this) which I don't wish to give out.

Why? I just don't want to be contactable on the spot. In my eyes if they want to reach me they can contact the department manager who's always within reach of all of us in the department and contact me that way. When I'm outside of work then I don't want to be reminded of work. I don't want work chat groups pinging away (yes I know you can mute them but I also don't want the faff of muting, unmuting, muting again) or being called when I'm off (there is no 'on call' so i wouldn't be avoiding that. The contract doesn't mention they can call you in on days off). When I'm off work I just want to forget work, not have it in my hand/pocket throughout the day.

And like I said, they would have means of contacting me at work (via manager) and at home (via home phone) so it's not as though I'd be blocking that off.

Just wondered if you can fairly say no to a personal number request?

When they wanted my email address I created one just for work purposes so nothing work related came to my main inbox. But that's free. I don't fancy going out & buying a cheap phone just to please work.

I think if they want you to be contactable, they need to provide the phone.

If you must have a second number, does your phone support dual SIMs? Get a cheap PAYG SIM or an Esim and give them that number, and set the ringtone/message alert to something distinctive you can ignore if you want.

There's a whole story & explanation to having the phone but I don't particularly want to go in to too much detail there since I know some of the upper folk there come on to this website. They won't need me naming them direct on here in order to start calling me in & grilling me on what I've said. 

Others in the dept just use their personal phones & are contacted that way. 

Thats one I've had thrown at me in the past. Called in to sign something & when I start reading it I get questioned why I'm doing so because "nobody else did". I'm the bad guy because I'm different. 

What's the situation with PAYG sims these days? Been many many many years since I've been on those. Can you just get a SIM, put no money on it & just have it in a phone & leave it as that - so you can be contacted but can't contact? 

If so and if my phone supports it then that MAY be something I could do to save the aggro but my preference is still just a no. 


As for the wrong number - that kind of thing would work like when someone asks you directions & you give them a bogus route and by the time they twig you're long gone never to be seen again.
Work would obviously twig on the first attempt & then if a second and third etc start throwing up issues then that's a quick way to cause a slanging match. 

Emmia

B0bbyEwing said:

Emmia said:

B0bbyEwing said:

Now for the pedantic reading this, yes I'm aware you don't technically 'have' to do anything at work, you can say no to absolutely anything & everything, but then you wouldn't last very long & I think you know what I mean with the thread title.

It also wouldn't surprise me if you have to give some form of phone contact as part of your employment. I haven't paid too much attention to that - because I've actually supplied this without any grumble. They have my home phone and my OH's number for emergencies.

I'm asking this because I currently have a works mobile phone but I'm expecting that to change in the near future (I suspect they'll soon as for it back). This will leave me as uncontactable 'on the spot'. 
I should point out that it isn't a requirement as per my contract to be contactable on the spot.

I imagine they'll then ask for my personal mobile number (this isn't just a random feeling by the way, there's good reason for me to suspect this) which I don't wish to give out.

Why? I just don't want to be contactable on the spot. In my eyes if they want to reach me they can contact the department manager who's always within reach of all of us in the department and contact me that way. When I'm outside of work then I don't want to be reminded of work. I don't want work chat groups pinging away (yes I know you can mute them but I also don't want the faff of muting, unmuting, muting again) or being called when I'm off (there is no 'on call' so i wouldn't be avoiding that. The contract doesn't mention they can call you in on days off). When I'm off work I just want to forget work, not have it in my hand/pocket throughout the day.

And like I said, they would have means of contacting me at work (via manager) and at home (via home phone) so it's not as though I'd be blocking that off.

Just wondered if you can fairly say no to a personal number request?

When they wanted my email address I created one just for work purposes so nothing work related came to my main inbox. But that's free. I don't fancy going out & buying a cheap phone just to please work.

I think if they want you to be contactable, they need to provide the phone.

If you must have a second number, does your phone support dual SIMs? Get a cheap PAYG SIM or an Esim and give them that number, and set the ringtone/message alert to something distinctive you can ignore if you want.

There's a whole story & explanation to having the phone but I don't particularly want to go in to too much detail there since I know some of the upper folk there come on to this website. They won't need me naming them direct on here in order to start calling me in & grilling me on what I've said. 

Others in the dept just use their personal phones & are contacted that way. 

Thats one I've had thrown at me in the past. Called in to sign something & when I start reading it I get questioned why I'm doing so because "nobody else did". I'm the bad guy because I'm different. 

What's the situation with PAYG sims these days? Been many many many years since I've been on those. Can you just get a SIM, put no money on it & just have it in a phone & leave it as that - so you can be contacted but can't contact? 

If so and if my phone supports it then that MAY be something I could do to save the aggro but my preference is still just a no. 


As for the wrong number - that kind of thing would work like when someone asks you directions & you give them a bogus route and by the time they twig you're long gone never to be seen again.
Work would obviously twig on the first attempt & then if a second and third etc start throwing up issues then that's a quick way to cause a slanging match. 

Normally providers require you to top up a certain amount, on a periodic basis and that credit expires after a certain time - so not a "free" fit and forget.

Edit: Smarty has a rolling 1 month contract SIM only for £6 - not masses of data, but unlimited calls and texts https://smarty.co.uk/all-plans#classic

Alternatively it might be easier to find a very cheap monthly contract (If you have a current contract, perhaps a second number on that?)


Edit:this sounds like a really toxic place to work, are you looking for something/somewhere else?