Boss wants to publish personal information

[Hoober]

So my brand new boss wants everybody on the team to stick their home phone number, personal cell phone number in Outlook contacts so any member of the team can access it when they need to. I've got a problem with this as I'd really rather not receive calls at home when I'm not at work. I don't feel they pay me enough to be available then. Thoughts?

 

[rh71]

That's too much to be forced to volunteer. Management can have my home number but that's it (they give us pagers anyway). What do you do though that requires that kind of availability, even if it's for emergencies only ?

 

[FoBoT]

what did he say when you told him that?

p.s. you don't have to answer your phone while you are home, i rarely answer the phone at my house

 

[DaveSimmons]

> I don't feel they pay me enough to be available then. Thoughts?

That would be my response too.

If I were annoyed enough, I might ask what kind of salary increase I was going to get for allowing me to be called when I'm not at work.

 

[PanzerIV]

I don't know if you can get away with not providing your home phone number but act like you don't have a cell number to give. Your personal cell phone number is not their business unless they plan on paying for the calls which of course we know is not the case.

 

[Looney]

We have the same system at my place of work... i can look up anybody's phone number, and they can look up mine. Doesn't bother me, and when they called me up, which has happened a couple of times... if i'm available, i'll help... if not, i'll tell them i'm unavailable. I really don't see the big deal in this.

 

[daveshel]

They have a right to know the number of only the cell phone that they provide for you.

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: Hardcore
We have the same system at my place of work... i can look up anybody's phone number, and they can look up mine. Doesn't bother me, and when they called me up, which has happened a couple of times... if i'm available, i'll help... if not, i'll tell them i'm unavailable. I really don't see the big deal in this.

I guess I'm getting the feeling that this is really just the start of the wrong path. There's been a lot of pressure around here to offer 24/7 support. Problem is, nobody wants to pay for it.

I'm the SQL DBA, so I can see why there's a lot of need to be available. Especially since I'm the only one, currently, that's here. There's been talk about cutting out time from somebody else's position to make time for training and to eventually become the backup, but it hasn't happened yet.

That said, I am severely underpaid for this market and the position. THe flip side of that is I have insane benefits and it's a pretty laid back environment, currently.

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: daveshel
They have a right to know the number of only the cell phone that they provide for you.

Yep, I don't have a problem with that. They provide us with cell phones, but I only use it during business hours. No where in my contract has it been specified that I will be available other than during normal business hours.

 

[Wallydraigle]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
> I don't feel they pay me enough to be available then. Thoughts?

That would be my response too.

If I were annoyed enough, I might ask what kind of salary increase I was going to get for allowing me to be called when I'm not at work.

Yep. If they don't want to pay you to be on 24 hour call, tell them to go pound sand because you don't have a freakin phone.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: daveshel
They have a right to know the number of only the cell phone that they provide for you.

and only Human Resources has the need to know any of your personal information.

It probably varies by state whether HR can legally share personal information to others in the company without your consent. (A company-supplied phone is obviously not personal info)

 

[badmouse]

If I were you, I'd start making phone calls to everybody on that list. Especially your boss. Often. At 3AM.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Originally posted by: badmouse
If I were you, I'd start making phone calls to everybody on that list. Especially your boss. Often. At 3AM.

And stupid drunk =D

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Give up the cell number. Home phone is for emergencies only and your HR department has that.

 

[Kelemvor]

Home phone is normally acceptable because it can be considered an Emergency Contact number. However, personal cell phone I would not give out. Cell phones are things you have to pay for the more you use them so unless your work is going to start paying your cell phone bill, they have no business requiring your cell number.

We just had this happen here as well and we all gave them our address and home phone but drew the line at home email and home cell phone number.

 

[Hoober]

Interestingly, I just spoke with my wife, who is a manager at another company, and she said 'Just shutup and give them your phone number. Stop being a baby.'

I love it when she talks dirty.

Maybe I'll take a look at the HR laws in Colorado and see if I can dig something up.

 

[Hammer]

give your cell since they provided. hr and your boss can have your home. get caller id though, and answer neither. problem solved.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Home phone is normally acceptable because it can be considered an Emergency Contact number.

Perfectly acceptable for HR to have, but it doesn't belong out in the open.

I know I've worked with a few people in the past that I definitely wouldn't want to have access to my number, & also worked with people that I'm sure wouldn't want me to have theirs (no matter how badly I might want it).

Just a bad idea all around.

Viper GTS

 

[Kelemvor]

I would clarify exactly what this is going to be for. If you are expected to be available 24x7 and answer your phone 24x7 and such, then I'd state that you were not hired to be on call 24x7 and you think a raise in pay or some sort of written compensation every time you get a call is needed. We have people that when they get a call, they get paid and if they don't they don't.

But if this is just a number to use in an emergency situation (something crashed, blew up, etc) then I woudln't worry about it.

Or get caller ID and don't answer and let them leave a message.

 

[Hoober]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Or get caller ID and don't answer and let them leave a message.

Which I will return durning normal business hours when not on vacation.

 

[Jzero]

1) If you are on a contract, then this should probably be stipulated in the contract. I'm not contracted, so I don't have set hours or anything so this is no issue for me. But as a matter of principle, I believe both parties should stick to a contract and amend it if necessary. This protects everyone.
2) Depends who has access to the information and how it is presented. As a manager of an IT sub-department, my home phone is published company wide with the explicit warning that you may only call me if you don't get a response to either of two different pagers in a timely manner.
3) Get caller ID and know how to use it. If I don't recognize a number, I always let it go to voice mail. I'll check voice mail and if I deem it important, I'll respond, otherwise I'll just follow up in the morning and say "I was out last night did you ever get your issue resolved?"

Otherwise, I wouldn't make a big stink about it. If you have a receptive boss, it can't hurt to hint that a little extra pay would make you happier about the situation, but I wouldn't rock the boat too hard unless it becomes a problem with people calling you 24x7.

 

[tyler811]

Originally posted by: PanzerIV
I don't know if you can get away with not providing your home phone number but act like you don't have a cell number to give. Your personal cell phone number is not their business unless they plan on paying for the calls which of course we know is not the case.

:thumbsup:

 

[Zanix]

One of my profs. today took everybodys picture in the class. I was paranoid as well. I wasn't sure what he needed all of our photos for.

 

[Anonemous]

Originally posted by: Zanix
One of my profs. today took everybodys picture in the class. I was paranoid as well. I wasn't sure what he needed all of our photos for.

attendance, roll call. I've seen prof. with rosters of ID pictures.

 

[kranky]

It's not very effective to complain about being underpaid, and not having to provide 24/7 support outlined in your contract, when you have no evidence that you will ever be called.

Give up the phone number, and if you start getting calls, then talk to your boss about it. At least at that point you have something to discuss.