Ask HN: Calling personal phone for work related matters?
I was wondering what people on hacker news have to say about people calling on your personal phone for work related matters.
13 comments
Do you guys still use phone numbers? My phone is only for work related matters. Or things that need attention right now like my wife telling me to turn off thr stove.
Most of the time when I get a call, I don't pick it up unless I know who it is. It's a bit like my hotmail email, mostly spam or formal things.
I'm not American, so it may be a little different here.
Most of the time when I get a call, I don't pick it up unless I know who it is. It's a bit like my hotmail email, mostly spam or formal things.
I'm not American, so it may be a little different here.
Am American. What do you use to chat with relatives? That’s probably my most significant use of voice calling.
Telegram, WhatsApp, Messenger.
I don't think we have voice conversations anymore. If we're discussing a future project for work, it's almost entirely in text up to 3 AM. A chat with my wife or daughter is all text message and stickers.
I don't think we have voice conversations anymore. If we're discussing a future project for work, it's almost entirely in text up to 3 AM. A chat with my wife or daughter is all text message and stickers.
Signal.
Worse yet, what about companies forcing employees installing apps on their phones? Pretty much everything now requires 2FA, and many are moving away from SMS to app-based authentication (e.g., AWS does not support SMS 2FA anymore). So I now have to install their authenticator app on my personal phone and use it for 2FA.
Some companies also require (or at least encourage wink-wink) you to set up mobile access to your email/slack/whatever and you have to do it on your personal mobile, knowing that now your personal device has data owned by your company so there's all kinds of legal implications and of course you have to give elevated access to the admins so that they can wipe the thing if things go south...
If I understand correctly even Europe does not require employers to provide business phone, leave alone the US. Hopefully something will be done about it at some point.
Some companies also require (or at least encourage wink-wink) you to set up mobile access to your email/slack/whatever and you have to do it on your personal mobile, knowing that now your personal device has data owned by your company so there's all kinds of legal implications and of course you have to give elevated access to the admins so that they can wipe the thing if things go south...
If I understand correctly even Europe does not require employers to provide business phone, leave alone the US. Hopefully something will be done about it at some point.
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I was strongly vocal against it. They want to call me, they're providing me with a separate number/phone and an on call rotation
It helps compartmentalize. If I don't expect escalations this week I turn it off
It helps compartmentalize. If I don't expect escalations this week I turn it off
Work better be paying for my personal phone. Really, don't call me out of work hours unless I'm 'on-call' and even then, it better be a 'work phone.;
What happens if your company gets sued and everything on your phone goes to discovery because it might be work related?
No, unless work pays for it or provides some sort of stipend.
And even then, drastically limit exposure of number to people.
And even then, drastically limit exposure of number to people.
I am not in favor of it. Route all remote comms thru slack or zoom or have a virtual phone system.
I simply don't give out my personal number. In past jobs I have always been given a work cell phone to make and receive work calls. It had the benefit of not being distracted by social media during the working day. For emergencies family had my work number. You can have work/life balance if you make it a priority.
During hours or if on call and I'm not otherwise responding when I should be? Sure.
Off hours and when I'm not on call? This had better be flipping important to be calling me, like people could lose employment if my specific knowledge is not leveraged in a timely fashion. If it is big enough, I'd let it slide.
Off hours and when I'm not on call? This had better be flipping important to be calling me, like people could lose employment if my specific knowledge is not leveraged in a timely fashion. If it is big enough, I'd let it slide.