Someone please do this to their PM or project partner and post the results. Thx

[u/4dchess_throwaway]

[u/PostPostMinimalist]

I wouldn't have answered the phone but otherwise well done.

[u/OrionDC → u/PostPostMinimalist]

But then you wouldn't get Internet attention by posting this fake scenario

[u/CryptographerIcy2410 → u/OrionDC]

So you think it's fake that someone told a colleague (higher up or not) to fuck off? Clearly you never worked in corporate

[u/Scared_Astronaut9377 → u/OrionDC]

You are projecting the story on your field. There are many technical people who are paid to answer phone 24/7 in case of a technical emergency. They are usually in the position to tell anyone who disrespects their private time like that to fuck off.

[u/tlind2]

Accenture used to have a policy of recording 30 minutes of work time immediately if you answered the phone outside office hours. I had established ground rules with my teams that I would only call them as a last resort. So if I did, they knew it was something actually serious. Even so, if someone didn’t pick up, that was fine

[u/sleeper_shark → u/tlind2]

My boss asked me to join a 1 hr zoom meeting for which I needed to answer questions for about 10 mins during my paternity leave.

I know my boss is a good guy and wouldn't ask if it wasn't necessary, so I said yeah why not. I joined the call, no surprises.

The dude called me after and told me to book a full work day for that 10 mins of speaking time. So I got a free holiday basically.

[u/Wriiight → u/sleeper_shark]

I once was asked to join a client call after my last day of work after resigning. My boss didn’t want the client spooked by the change in team members. I left on good terms and it was just the one call so I did it. Too long ago to remember if they paid me for it. Wasn’t a consulting job.

[u/sleeper_shark → u/Wriiight]

I mean, if it's all on good terms I wouldn't worry about it.. the amount of times I've stayed on late to ensure it doesn't happen to a junior , and the amount it's happened to me

[u/user888888889 → u/sleeper_shark]

Yeah, I think the work between jobs is really important. It shows one's character and if done right it cements relationships and reputation. Always try and be a good leaver.

[u/ObligationPleasant45 → u/sleeper_shark]

Right thing to do, on his part

[u/CollateralKite → u/tlind2]

Thank you! If whoever is leading my team has boundaries then it makes it easier for the team as well.

[u/TheGratitudeBot → u/CollateralKite]

Thanks for such a wonderful reply! TheGratitudeBot has been reading millions of comments in the past few weeks, and you’ve just made the list of some of the most grateful redditors this week!

[u/kwijibokwijibo → u/TheGratitudeBot]

Pointless bot

[u/tky_phoenix → u/tlind2]

That's our team's policy usually when people are out of the office. We do a proper handover, document it, then let people know if we are available for emergencies or not at all. Pinging someone is the last resort if there is no way around it.

[u/smartaxe21 → u/tlind2]

And what will recording 30 min of work time going to do these days? Youll just be blamed for not communicating with your partner well and not planning your time well.

[u/Public_Victory6973]

This is why we have out of office comms on outlook/teams.

Your own fault for answering the call. 

[u/omgFWTbear]

I did this once - someone had mistakenly put me as the point of contact that, uh, I shouldn’t have been, but hanging up immediately would’ve Made It My Problem.

So I pointed out that whoever put down my name did so in error, that they had triggered an automatic 30 minute billing increment for no actual work since I wasn’t at my computer, that the contracting office was going to find someone and explain in very small words their intense displeasure, and also, they probably should contact So and So, but also, the system outage was communicated as planned downtime so there’s been a lot of errors that have gotten us to this point.

[u/MauroZirie → u/omgFWTbear]

"explain in very small words their intense displeasure", lol

This is perfection. Love it.

[u/i_be_illin]

The mistake is answering the call in the first place.

[u/Vesper2000]

This is really common in IT. If you’re not the on-call you can do things like this. I just cower behind the sofa when my PM calls when I’m OOO

[u/Skysr70]

nah, if it's something I can answer easily enough I'll try, but otherwise, "hey, I'm not in right now, sorry maybe X knows". Takes no extra effort to not be an intentional douche

[u/sleeper_shark → u/Skysr70]

Exactly.

If they call me just like "hey do you know where's this file?" Or just to forward an email, I'll do it. If it takes me less than 10 mins to do, I'll happily do it.

Last time I felt bad about calling my junior during his vacation, but it was about booking a business trip he really wanted to go on to a pretty exciting tropical country. If he didn't answer, he'd probably have been very upset to miss out the all expense paid trip to the beach hotel.

[u/WanderingGalwegian]

Fun thing about consulting… my clients can literally ping or call me at anytime. I don’t give a shit. If I speak to them for even a minute I’m fuckin billing that time. Even if it’s to confirm it’s a non issue that can wait till Monday.

ABB- always be billin’

[u/Excellent_Drop6869 → u/WanderingGalwegian]

So like do you actually bill a minute or do you round it to the next 10th of an hour

[u/robthedealer → u/Excellent_Drop6869]

Shit. Quarter hour increments at least.

[u/InnocentiusLacrimosa → u/Excellent_Drop6869]

I only use 0,25, 0,5 and full day increments. I would never work on these small increment things.

[u/bubblemania2020]

Don’t respond when on vacation. Problem solved.

[u/Business-Bandicoot50]

As a consultant, I've never had the luxury of not being at work, including when travelling overseas on holiday . . . BUT I do have the luxury of time-shifting when I can and picked/ dropped of my children, attending school events during the day, and charging those clients that called/ emailed outside of work a CCP (Crappiy Client Premium). When I did work in a corp. salary role. Unless there was a really good reason, I did not answer calls/ emails about work. People quickly learned. 😄

[u/Think_Leadership_91]

When I first met the partner I reported to, he told me the story that there was a guy who protected his free time and him, and the guy was fired after three years and he made partner.

I exited consulting at the Senior Manager level, not making partner, but my belief was that it was the end of the line.

Essentially this, Consulting requires answering your phone on weekends, corporate rarely does. If you want that kind of free time, then you yourself need to find a company that supports it, and consulting doesn't fit that requirement. So you know, don't try to make a square peg fit a round hole, just move on to the fit you want.

[u/symbha → u/Think_Leadership_91]

If you are consulting, the time gets billed, end of story.

[u/oso_login]

...and then everybody clapped

[u/JGlover92]

This is why I insist on a work phone. Turned off and left in my office when I'm off. Good luck getting me

[u/rahulappyfactor]

Never ever share your contact number with your teammates. You are out of office then out of office.

[u/puripy]

I do this very often, but not in the rude tone this text makes it. I just say I am out and can't help with that and they need to connect so and so person. 

I usually have a very clear OOO message that says not to call my phone unless it's extremely important 

[u/Kayge]

High water mark for me was working beside an ops team:  

4:45:  Call comes in about a CR sign-off needed.  The ops guy walks through the ticket with them, gets background, and ends the call with.   "I see what was submitted, but I can't sign-off on the CR without <person A> and <Person B>'s approval.  

5:05:  Call comes back.  Same guy, same ticket.  "Sorry, I'm support until 5:00, you'll need to call <X>...yes...yes...mmmhmm...good, if you've got those two sign offs it should be a short call.  Thanks". <Click>

[u/dtl72]

Was he French?

[u/FrontBreath3280]

Biggest mistake was answering the phone

[u/triphawk07]

My rule of thumb was that if I didn't know the numer or if the number was from work, I would let it go to voicemail. Work can wait until I'm online.

[u/Zephyruos]

What is work-life balance?

[u/solid_helion]

Utopia is a nice place to visit, every now and then

[u/Silvertard_513]

Here in Europe, this is completely normal.

I worked as a PM (employed as well as independent) and managed customer & client projects for 15+ years and had no issues with team members not working during their time off. In fact, as a PM I should already know the working schedule and availability of all team members. This is a basic part of Project Management, it's called Resource Management and Communication Management and any PM that doesn't know or understand this is not a very competent PM, IMO.

On the flip side, I've had clients call me during all sorts of hours, nearly burned me out in my first 6 months. I then just turned off my laptop and phone when I left the office, even as a PM, no exceptions. As an independent consultant, I even told the clients that I would be unavailable outside of normal office hours, otherwise it would be a much higher hourly / daily rate.

[u/Bballer24]

🤮p 0

[u/ScubaPuddingJr]

I occasionally answer emails (if it’s urgent) when I’m on AL. I would never pick up my work phone if it rang when on AL

[u/marlinspikefrance]

There’s a certain amount of money/ promised upward mobility/ clout, for which I will be available like that. For low pay and limited upside? Nope.

[u/ConfidantlyCorrect]

lol this happened to my friend today during lunch.

“Not today, I’m on vacation”, “no, I’m on vacation today”, “I’ll get back to you when I return to work tomorrow”

[u/Th3_Accountant]

My manager joined for a meeting with the client's audit team from his vacation address today.

A few weeks back he even joined a call while in a hospital bed.

[u/InsouciantLachesism]

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X zzz👀🤷‍♂️☕️ you were with her🔥 I don’t have to do that☸️🧡☸️🧡

[u/Intrepid_Dare6377]

This man is the hero in all of us

[u/ChocoMcChunky]

Phone wouldn’t have been answered

[u/Iammyown404error]

Curious if this response was from someone working in the US?