Work colleague answered by personal mobile phone, when I wasn't at desk. Boundaries?

doireann08

Hi there

Just a general question. There is a guy I sit beside at work, I get on very well with him. However last week my personal mobile rang( I left it on my desk) and he answered it!!!
When I came back to me desk. He said Doireann your mate X rang. When I called her back, we chatted for a bit then she told me that my workmate had answered by personal mobile

Do you think this is overstepping boundaries? I would never answer any of my friends mobiles.. I think this is intrusive as he clearly knows which is my work mobile and which one is for personal use?

Has anyone else come across this?

Katgurl

He thought he was being helpful. I wouldn't make a fuss. Tbh I don't see problem anyway, he was being nice letting her know you'd stepped away from desk.

If you don't like it say something casual like "I keep forgetting switch that on silent, it's my personal mobile". If you are lucky enough to get on well together it'd be shame to hurt his feelings about such non issue, it's not like he read your messages.

Denimgirl

Ah this happens a lot in offices I would'nt take it to heart he was only taking a message for you,The offices I worked in did that with eachothers mobiles if it's a friendly office it usually happens you'd answer someones mobile and say "claires phone or whatever and take a message don't read into it.

doireann08

thanks everyone
I get what you are saying, our office is friendly however we have work mobiles, which we answer for eachother. However generally we would never answer eachothers personal mobile... i have worked in the place for nearly five years so I was surprised when he answered my personal mobile. Its not a big deal though, was just curious to what your thoughts were. My mate who phoned me was pretty shocked!

Nevyn

Don't leave you personal mobile where it can be accessed it and cosider putting a pin number on it.

Katgurl

Well personally I find it annoying when someones mobile is going off so I'll pick it up to hit silent or I'll answer it.

You should just put it on vibrate and then throw it in your handbag when not there.

cafecolour

If he's in the habit of answering your work mobile, it doesn't seem that odd to me that he'd instinctively answer another ringing phone on your desk.

It really depends on the tenor of the workplace. The last place I worked was sort of aggressively quiet. Leaving a mobile ringing on your desk would've been a faux paus and likely apologized for. No one would've answered your mobile, but you might've gotten dirty looks on your return to your desk.

muboop1

cafecolour wrote: »

If he's in the habit of answering your work mobile, it doesn't seem that odd to me that he'd instinctively answer another ringing phone on your desk.

This is an excellent point. He might not of even realized which phone he picked up until he had answered it.

If you are in habit of answering each others mobiles... to think he overstepped some boundary by answering "another" of your mobiles... definitely over reacting.

Anyway, if it bothers you, don't bring it up. Just have your phone off, on silent or on your person at all time... like the majority of people would!

I find what he done acceptable in the circumstances. If you didn't answer each others phones might be different story. Even then, he was clearly trying to be helpfull!

G-Money

I don't see this as much of a big deal. There's nothing that annoyies me more than being at work and someone's phone constantly ringing in the background.

I'll admit, I wouldn't be too keen on someone answering my mobile but it would serve me right for leaving it there and not having it on silent.

If you don't want it to happen again, switch it to silent or turn it off completely, or keep it on you. Unless you are a doctor on call or something, the world is not going to end if your phone is off for a few hours.

krudler

Was it on silent or did it have a ringtone? I work in an office where mobiles are constantly going off and its so annoying when someone has some irritating ringtone and they're away from their desk, so someone will usually hit the silent button or answer it. In futuredont leave your phone on your desk, simple as.

MissMotivated

I find it odd that anyone would answer someones desk or mobile phone in an office unless they are the persons secretary!!! That is definitely not done in my office and there's constantly phones going off.
Either say to the guy you'd prefer if he didn't answer it or keep it on silent

Riskymove

grandmaster wrote: »

I don't see this as much of a big deal. There's nothing that annoyies me more than being at work and someone's phone constantly ringing in the background.

I'll admit, I wouldn't be too keen on someone answering my mobile but it would serve me right for leaving it there and not having it on silent.

I agree here, i did this once

a phone was left on a colleagues desk and it rang again and again, I'd say 3 or 4 times in a 30 minute period...with an annoying loud ringtone.

I hit the reject button the first couple of times but on the last occassion answered and explained he was away form desk and I took a message.

I dont see the issue

PK2008

There is nothing more distracting and annoying in an office than someone's mobile going off when they are not there to answer it, especially if it has a particularly loud and annoying ring tone. You're lucky he didnt chuck it out the window.

Its a called a "mobile phone" for a reason, put it in your pocket and bring it with you.

krudler

PK2008 wrote: »

There is nothing more distracting and annoying in an office than someone's mobile going off when they are not there to answer it, especially if it has a particularly loud and annoying ring tone. You're lucky he didnt chuck it out the window.

Its a called a "mobile phone" for a reason, put it in your pocket and bring it with you.

This, i work in a call centre environment so I dont need to be explaining something to an angry customer while someones phone on the desk beside me has Lady Gaga blaring out of it, having a ringtone full stop should be a sackable offence imo, silent mode with vibrate people, use it! :mad:

wasper

doireann08 wrote: »

Hi there

Just a general question. There is a guy I sit beside at work, I get on very well with him. However last week my personal mobile rang( I left it on my desk) and he answered it!!!
When I came back to me desk. He said Doireann your mate X rang. When I called her back, we chatted for a bit then she told me that my workmate had answered by personal mobile

Do you think this is overstepping boundaries? I would never answer any of my friends mobiles.. I think this is intrusive as he clearly knows which is my work mobile and which one is for personal use?

Has anyone else come across this?

At work we are not allowed personal mobile phones. In any case, I am sure you have received calls in the past & talked in front of your colleague. So why are you so particular about him answering your phone.

Cheap Thrills!

You're very trusting leaving your mobile at the desk.

I even bring it to the jacks with me. Its not that I'm desperate to take calls but rather that I would NEVER leave myself open and vulnerable like that to personal information being easily accessable to others.

(think about it texts/pictures etc :eek:)

Just to illustrate how mad seemingly normal people can be: I worked in an office before, trusted everyone, but it turns out while I was on annual leave a girl who was my 'friend' approached the IT department pretending she was covering for me and needed access to my PC.

According to others who were present at the time and thought she had pemission she sat there for a couple of days reading my emails and deleting my clock in-out information.

I only pieced it together when I got back and discovered what happened. The girl turned out to be mentally ill but still works here.

Anyway, my point is. People can seem trustworthy but it's still better to be a little bit paranoid and untrusting than to end up allowing someone to help themselves to your personal information.

Also there is the nuisance factor of a personal mobile ringing or beeping at someones desk. Its inconsiderate.

BRING IT WITH YOU IN FUTURE!

Maguined

If your phone is on silent then it would be an invasion of privacy.

If it was ringing out loud he probably thought he was being helpful.

SarahSassy

If your phone wasnt on and causing a nuisance then he would not have heard it ring. I keep my personal phone on silent at work cos I know how annoying it is when peoples phone are ringing galore.... Maybe it was annoying him so he answered....

mood

Keep it on silent in your pocket or bag to avoid being annoyed in the future.

JCDUB

Eeemmm, why is this in the relationship issues forum?

Back on topic, I see no problem with what your colleague did. You left your phone there, it rang, he answered it, took a message, no problem.

beks101

I don't think there's anything as annoying as an unanswered mobile phone going off in an office.

Where I work is open-plan and if I leave my desk and my phone starts going off for an extended period of time, it's irritating everyone in the office so it will quite rightly be either answered or switched off. If any of my immediate work mates get to it, they might answer it, doesn't happen often but it wouldn't faze me. It's not a violation or anything - your colleague is hardly trying to invade your privacy and gaige some intimate details from your personal life. He was simply doing you a favour, or so he thought.

I don't think it's worth bringing up. Just keep the phone attached to you at all times, keep it locked and / or keep it on silent if it bothers you that much.

tinkerbell

Cheap Thrills! wrote: »

Just to illustrate how mad seemingly normal people can be: I worked in an office before, trusted everyone, but it turns out while I was on annual leave a girl who was my 'friend' approached the IT department pretending she was covering for me and needed access to my PC.

According to others who were present at the time and thought she had pemission she sat there for a couple of days reading my emails and deleting my clock in-out information.

I only pieced it together when I got back and discovered what happened. The girl turned out to be mentally ill but still works here.

Err what!?!! What about the others who were there, how come they didn't say anything when they saw her reading your emails?!

To the OP - I would be really annoyed if someone answered my personal mobile phone when I wasn't there, I am a very private person and the idea of somebody else handling my phone is a big no no to me. Therefore, when I am not at my desk, I either have the phone on me or else it's in my bag on silent / very low ring tone so that it wouldn't bother anybody if it did go off.

showgirl

IMO he was only being helpful! it was probably annoying him and rather than switch it off he took the call for you! if it was me and your phone was going off i wouldnt have answered it - i would have switched it off - and therefore you wouldnt have known that Doireann had called!

Consider what he did as an act of kindness and if it annoys you so much ensure you bring it with you or turn it on silent in future. That really solves the issue i think !!

Victor

doireann08 wrote: »

When I called her back, we chatted for a bit then she told me that my workmate had answered by personal mobile

Why was she phoning you at work? Why did you have your personal phone on at work? If there are boundary issues, it is the people who bring too much of their personal lives into the work place. I don't want to know who scored who the previous night, who was projectile or that you need to get milk on the way home.

Now, that is a strict line, some I'm going to step back from it. Spending 5 minutes on personal business in an 8 hours shift isn't so bad. you do after all have to live your life. Previously someone posted here somewhere that she would spend an hour a day on the phone to her boyfriend's mobile. That is 10 hours (5 hours x 2) work not done every week and a €100 bill.

shellyboo

You can't get annoyed at someone for answering your "personal" mobile when you left it in a public place, unattended. Couldn't be all that private in that case.