When the boss calls after working hours

amother

OP ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:35 pm

What to do? My boss repeatedly calls me after working hours. I'm so frustrated that he bothers me after I'm done with work for the day!!! Once I clock out, I want to disassociate myself from my job. Not be busy with a pestering boss. My boss will call me minimum 2x per week after hours with questions which in my opinion is never of major importance and can wait till the next morning.

He calls and then if I don't answer, I get a follow up text to call..
It's getting out of hand and I want to put a full stop to it. I do not agree to be busy with my job all day long. I work hard and once I'm out for the day, I want to be out for the day.

amother

Catmint ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:39 pm

This is a tough spot. What do you think would happen if you politely asked the boss to plz not call after hours unless it's an emergency? How would he take it?

Do you have it in you to ask the boss to stop?

Cheiny ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:40 pm

amother OP wrote:

It’s up to you to set boundaries. You have a right to not expect or respond to any work related calls after hours, barring something urgent on a rare occasion that can’t possibly wait for the next workday.

If you don’t respond to his calls after hours, every single time, he will have to get the hint and stop reaching out to you outside of work. It’s inappropriate and he shouldn’t be doing it.

If he asks why you haven’t responded, you should say your phone gets closed after hours so that you can focus on your family. Repeat the same thing if he asks again.

amother

NeonPink ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:40 pm

What if you don’t answer and then if he sends a text respond something like “Is it an emergency? I’m happy to help if it is, but if not then it is outside of my working hours and I’d rather address it tomorrow if possible”

shabbatiscoming ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:42 pm

I left a job when this started happening a lot. I ws getting phone calls for things that I couldnt actually work at from home.
It got to be that the lines of what was appropriate to be calling afte work hours and what was not, got blurred. I left the job shortly after. I couldnt take it.

amother

Poppy

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:42 pm

You have 2 options. Be direct or indirect. Direct action is to email your boss that work hours end at X and all calls, texts and emails will not be monitored or responded to until the following business day. Additional time spent working is in excess of your current employment agreement and subject to pay at Y rate, per hour. Or whatever you feel comfortable saying but pushing back on the away from your device boundary. Of course, this is field/ job specific advice. Some employees are expected to never be "off" and they know it.
Indirect is to just let it go to voicemail and ignore the text. After a while, he'll learn.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:42 pm

I mostly do not answer his calls and he doesn't get the hint. Or he does and he just doesnt care and he tries his luck.

Often in the morning, he'll mention that he tried reaching me for...
And he already told me numerous times that when he calls he doesn't mean to bother but it's rather important.. bs. It's never that important.
Im.so.fed.up!

↑ shabbatiscoming

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:44 pm

amother OP wrote:

If you want to stay at the job you have to put your foot down and tell him that when you leave work, you are not working. You are with your family and will not be answering any f his calls. You tell him that your WORK hours are from x-y.
Or you leave the job if it is too much.

amother

↑ Catmint

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:46 pm

Op, the truth is you know exactly what to do. You explain to him (as you did above) that you work hard and when you go home you don't want to think about work. You're also not getting paid for the time.

What's stopping you from saying this? Are you (like me) not a confrontational person and concerned it will make things uncomfortable?

↑ Cheiny ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:48 pm

amother NeonPink wrote:

That’s giving him the control. He might consider anything work related “an emergency.”

This out of line behavior should not be indulged or allowed to continue, like I said, barring a rare and truly urgent matter that can’t wait…

↑ Cheiny ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:49 pm

amother OP wrote:

It’s up to you. He will continue to take advantage as long as you allow him to,

amother

↑ NeonPink

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 5:56 pm

Cheiny wrote:

Most normal people will be embarrassed to respond yes it’s an emergency every time. And if he does, you go to him at the end of the month and say-you had 6 “emergencies” this month, that’s not at in line with my expectations for this job, I get paid for the hours I work”

NotInNJMommy

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 6:24 pm

One needs to erect and commit to a boundary. And you don’t need to defend it or explain it. If you’re off the clock, you don’t answer work calls, emails, texts. If you give in at all, then the perpetrator knows it works at least sometimes and it will be worth it for them to keep trying.

Alternatively, you could take a gamble and ask how to bill your time when doing back shift/call in type work.

But it sounds like what you really want to do is not work when you’re not working. Ignore the calls, texts, and comments until the next shift. If you can, mute the texts etc.

Suggest to your boss that they should leave you emails etc on back shift that you will address asap when you’re back on the clock.

amother

Hotpink

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 6:33 pm

amother OP wrote:

I have had it. What I did was
A. Let him know I am not available unless it's a true emergency in which case he can text it and if it truly can't wait I'll call
B. I made a setting on my iPhone to not get any calls from him or any notifications of texts (it's muted).

Slowly it stopped.

↑ Cheiny ↓

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 6:41 pm

amother NeonPink wrote:

No, he won’t outright say it’s an emergency every time, but leaving it open for him in any way, will allow him to keep taking advantage and calling every time he deems something to be “very Important.” The ball should not be left in his court at all, because he doesn’t understand boundaries.

amother

Steelblue

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 11:38 pm

amother OP wrote:

When he says he called and you didn't answer say you aren't available at that time
When he texts you answer I'm not available until 9 am

amother

Red

Thu, Jan 02 2025, 11:55 pm

My boss can call or message me after hours. He knows I only answer when I'm available. It's annoying, sometimes I answer even if I'm not in the mood but for me it's worth it cuz I have a great job.
ETA I currently have 2 unread messages from earlier this evening. I will get to them when I have a chance.

B'Syata D'Shmya

Yesterday at 12:08 am

amother OP wrote:

So my boss followed up with another text. I decided to be indirect and just simply ignore. Hoping the message will come through sooner than later.
#highly annoying

You are being kinda passive aggressive about this. It sounds to me like you are afraid of confronting him and dont want to lose this job.
You dont mention the job or your work, so I assume this is stuff that really can wait for the next morning.
How about asking for a work performance meeting. Hear what he has to say about your work and what areas he praises and what he wants improvements on. Then you can bring up the twice a week phone calls that bother your personal time. Especially since they can all wait till the morning. (Does he have impulse control issues?). You arent a surgeon and this isnt a kidney transplant situation that cant wait for the morning. Lets meet in the middle. Text me your question and if I can I will answer via text and if it can wait, it will wait.