Ignoring work texts

[tvguy]

Nope. I have an iphone and have the 'text read' feature turned off but still use imessage (blue).

I have never used an iPhone, but the boss does, and nobody has ever disputed his claim "I see you got my message at....." Moving on.

 

[sam_gordon]

Okay, clearly I am missing something there. Wouldn't you need to click on it for it to be delivered?

No. It's on your phone whether you read it or not. Think of it like sending a certified letter. You know it got delivered, but you don't know if it got read.

 

[sam_gordon]

I have never used an iPhone, but the boss does, and nobody has ever disputed his claim "I see you got my message at....." Moving on.

Read what you typed... that shows WHEN. IT. WAS. DELIVERED. He's not saying "I see you read my message at... ".

 

[DaisyJ]

Okay, clearly I am missing something there. Wouldn't you need to click on it for it to be delivered?

No. It is a text message or imessage. It is delivered when your iphone accepts it.

 

[DaisyJ]

I have never used an iPhone, but the boss does, and nobody has ever disputed his claim "I see you got my message at....." Moving on.

That is when it was delivered to the device, NOT read.

 

[tvguy]

Read what you typed... that shows WHEN. IT. WAS. DELIVERED. He's not saying "I see you read my message at... ".

I'll shoot him another note and ask if that is his experience.

 

[dish rag]

I have never used an iPhone, but the boss does, and nobody has ever disputed his claim "I see you got my message at....." Moving on.

He or she must mean they know when it was delivered. I leave me read receipt on as do most of the people I deal with that have i phones. We want the sender to know that we read the message if we haven't had time to respond. Don't know why some insist on leaving the read off. The sender knows you read it, and are ignoring the text.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Not offended. Tried to answer every question but that only seems to bring up more questions. It's a moot point as the day is over. I was just curious as to what the consensus is here.

well the thing is that my job (and most people I know) is not a retail/shift work type of job. It's a 9-5 Monday to Friday office setting.
There is no need to ever text someone outside of office hours. So I really have no idea what the consensus is.
Back in the day when I did work shift work type jobs (mid 1990s) and if my employer called me I usually called back if I got the message during opening hours. One time I recall dodging a coworker who wanting me to work her shifts and I decided I really didn't want to.

 

[DaisyJ]

He or she must mean they know when it was delivered. I leave me read receipt on as do most of the people I deal with that have i phones. We want the sender to know that we read the message if we haven't had time to respond. Don't know why some insist on leaving the read off. The sender knows you read it, and are ignoring the text.

I'm not attached to my phone. In fact, I go (gasp!!) hours without picking it up. I'll reply to a text when it is convenient for me. No one needs to know when I've read their text. I also ignore read receipts demands in email.

 

[sk!mom]

Not on call. But imo should have answered. We all text so we know he got it. I just think ignoring your boss is rude and unprofessional. But the guys had like 6 jobs in 4 years so it's not surprising

Still not enough info for me. Is this a life and death job? Is being called in an expectation and known upon being hired.

I feel pretty strongly that one negative to the super connectivity most of us have today is that people think that we are obligated to stop whatever we are doing and respond to them. This is not an obligation and not even a courtesy. If you called a landline and there was no answer then you would assume the person was unavailable. Unless the company is supplying the phone and the expectation of responses is known upon being hired then the employee did nothing wrong. My phone is for my convenience- not yours.

All that being said, I'm pretty responsive and likely would have responded.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

Do you? What are you're reasons if you do? Yesterday my boss and supervisor texted someone to come in and he totally ignored both. I feel like unless you are in a life or death situation you can respond.

What say you?

I work for myself now but when I did work for companies, when I left the office, I was done for the day. No exceptions. Don't like it, eat it.

 

[pooh'smate]

Do you? What are you're reasons if you do? Yesterday my boss and supervisor texted someone to come in and he totally ignored both. I feel like unless you are in a life or death situation you can respond.

What say you?

Nope. If I was scheduled on a day off I wouldn't reply. I have a family and a life outside of work and they don't pay me to answer when I am not at work. If I am on call then I am working and will answer/reply but only if I am on call. I work in retail and I am only on call if they know they might need help but aren't sure yet. If I want to pick up extra hours I will sign up for on call.

 

[Nancyg56]

I have to be honest. I think that I would quit this job. If my manager wanted me to come in, the call or text should be between me and the manager. Clearly, there was a discussion among the staff about the employee who "didn't respond but was home on a Holiday and could have." This is what is troubling for me.

 

[Kellykins1218]

But the guys had like 6 jobs in 4 years so it's not surprising

Maybe he left them because he didn't like having judgemental co-workers who butted into stuff that was none of their business?

 

[jaminmd]

Does this image from my iPhone help?

 

[sam_gordon]

Does this image from my iPhone help?

No one is denying iMessage can show a read receipt. However, you need to send from an iphone to an iphone, the recipient has to have "read receipt" turned on, AND the message had to be sent as iMessage, not SMS. PP claimed there was a 3rd party APP that would send a read receipt across devices and texting apps. Doesn't exist.

 

[sk!mom]

I own my own business so I can't speak for myself but I will for my husband. He values his job and watches as they change how they rank and evaluate workers. He wants to be seen as valuable, and he is.

A couple of years back, they asked him to run a plant in another state for ten months. He drove home (five hours) every weekend. One Sunday, we were heading to a historic theater in a big city to attend a movie premiere and he got a text that there was a big fire at the plant. He instantly left to go to the plant to oversee the situation. I wasn't surprised. He sees his role as part of his identity and it doesn't end Friday at 5pm. Sometimes the boss might send an email on the weekend and ask for some data calculations. It becomes his priority. His name has never been on the chopping block and he gets big bonuses and big raises...every year.

He considers himself blessed to have the work.

Judging from the fact that the OP has been vague about job details, even after requests for more info, I'm going to say that it is not at all similar to your story. DH and I are also much farther along in our careers and would most likely respond. Monday was a holiday though and judging from the OP's reaction and the fact that the manager discussed the employee, this doesn't seem like a very professional business. It also doesn't seem like a refusal would have been well received.

But bottom line- unless you are on call responding isn't an obligation. Your job doesn't own your off time.

 

[Skip2MyLou]

Is this a salary position?
Was the employee on-call?
Does the company pay for the phone/service?
Is the position deal with life/death situations?
Was this arrangement made clear in job description?

Unless the answer is "yes" to one of these situations, then IMO, the employee is not required to answer any text or come in on their day off.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Retail on a holiday weekend? I wouldn't have answered either.

If I get a text or call on my day off I answer because most likely it's a specific question about a surgery I booked. It's important for the patient (they can potentially be cancelled) so I do it. It never lasts more than a minute and it's rare since I lay everything out before I'm off.

 

[Hikergirl]

Is this a salary position?
Was the employee on-call?
Does the company pay for the phone/service?
Is the position deal with life/death situations?
Was this arrangement made clear in job description?

Unless the answer is "yes" to one of these situations, then IMO, the employee is not required to answer any text or come in on their day off.

My dh is a salaried employee and he will ignore work texts. Being on call is one thing, but being salaried doesn't make you automatically on call.
OP, I don't think that employee is under any obligation to answer a text outside of work hours. If the boss expects that from his/her employees its time to re-work the contracts, give a raise and make and them on-call employees.