Leaving job - New person wanting my mobile number to ask questions when I'm gone.

born_again

If you do not want to offend trainee. Provide number. Once you leave block their number.

FlorayG

born_again said:

If you do not want to offend trainee. Provide number. Once you leave block their number.

So you think it's OK to offend someone AFTER you leave?

TELLIT01

Just tell them that once you leave the company you will not be able to help them.  If you are on good terms with the manager you currently report to, you may want to tell them that the person seems still to be struggling with the role and will continue to need support.  That's entirely a personal decision.

Do not give the person you are training your own phone number.

AinsleyFatCat

MeteredOut said:

AinsleyFatCat said:

Thanks for all the comments so far. I don't feel so bad now. I think that it will be best to be straight up with them.

Are you moving to a new job? If not, then seriously consider putting a consultancy proposal to your old employer. I'd package it a x hours per month, at £y per hour, for 3-4 months, on a "use it or lose it" basis. Then you still get paid even if the hours are not utilised. 

It's not that kind of job,but in any case, I just want to shut the door on it completely.

Emmia

AinsleyFatCat said:

MeteredOut said:

AinsleyFatCat said:

Thanks for all the comments so far. I don't feel so bad now. I think that it will be best to be straight up with them.

Are you moving to a new job? If not, then seriously consider putting a consultancy proposal to your old employer. I'd package it a x hours per month, at £y per hour, for 3-4 months, on a "use it or lose it" basis. Then you still get paid even if the hours are not utilised. 

It's not that kind of job,but in any case, I just want to shut the door on it completely.

In which case your answer is "I'm sorry, but as I'm leaving it wouldn't be appropriate for me to provide advice on what will be your job after I'm gone. Because of this I don't feel that I can share my personal number."

I've moved internally a few years ago, and had lots  of  questions from my successor - in that case because I still worked at the employer I gave the replacement advice and answered queries for 3 weeks, after that I just said "I'm sorry but the job is yours to do, I have a job I must do, and I don't have time to keep advising you".

DullGreyGuy

AinsleyFatCat said:

MeteredOut said:

AinsleyFatCat said:

Thanks for all the comments so far. I don't feel so bad now. I think that it will be best to be straight up with them.

Are you moving to a new job? If not, then seriously consider putting a consultancy proposal to your old employer. I'd package it a x hours per month, at £y per hour, for 3-4 months, on a "use it or lose it" basis. Then you still get paid even if the hours are not utilised. 

It's not that kind of job,but in any case, I just want to shut the door on it completely.

Based on your original post I'd have gone about it slightly differently, wouldnt have given the new recruit my number but would have offered it to a manager so that I became a second line referral not first. Firstly, I'd hope a manager to be less likely to call an ex colleague with a problem than a new recruit and secondly I'd be happy for it to be known that I'm being helpful etc so I am still in mind if new opportunities appear in the future. 

My situation is slightly different because I do operate as a freelancer so have commercial rates and contracts in place not that I'd be looking to bill for a 5 minute phone call but does mean I move around more and keeping on good terms with clients is an important thing if you want future work from them. 

I've done it may times over the last 20 years and can only recall 2-3 times when anyone has actually contacted me for help and the offer of new jobs has even at least double that. 

On the basis you want to burn bridges with them and wouldn't be interested in coming back in the future then just say no. 

Wyndham

If you did give your number, and you then gave advice on how to do something, you could be setting yourself up for problems. A month or two down the line several things may have changed in the firm that you wouldn't know about. Your advice could be out of date, incorrect or potentially grounds for legal action!

I would politely decline. Or maybe leave my number with the manager if I was so inclined - but if I didn't trust them then I wouldn't even do that.

MeteredOut

OP, it depends on the job and whether anything you say could lead to issues at work, but a common get-out is "I wouldn't be insured if the advice I gave led to an issue and wouldn't be protected as an employee, so sorry I can't"

Or you could give your phone number if they want to stay friends, but make it clear that you won't be answering any work related questions. Probability is they'll never phone, but it'll avoided a potentially awkward situation.

TELLIT01

Absolutely no reason to provide a free advise service to a previous employer, which is what the OP would actually be doing.  It's that employer's fault if they no longer have anybody with the required knowledge.

sonofmerton

Imagine if a process has changed since you left. You tell them how to do something...it goes up the spout but 'AinsleyFatCat' told me to'.  Steer clear. I've been there. It happened to me.