Company cell phone or pager after normal work hours

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

Do you asnwer the company cell phone or pager after normal work hours?

The company I work for provides me with what I call an electronic leash. Company cell phone and pager. How do you deal with calls/texts/pages after normal work hours?

[cwsnyder]

I don't have a company cellphone or pager, but I am curious: Why do you leave them turned on, if you aren't on call?

[The Cog]

I'm on call 1 week in 4, but I will answer the phone anytime anyway, except that 3 weeks in 4 I turn the ringer off as I go to bed.

There seems to be a slight problem with the logic in the poll counter - see attached screenshot. 3 votes with 50% each.

[mips]

They still make pagers? Have not seen one of those in years.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

There seems to be a slight problem with the logic in the poll counter - see attached screenshot. 3 votes with 50% each.

I fixed it. I was editing the poll when you captured the screenshot.

[lisati]

They still make pagers? Have not seen one of those in years.

I used to have one, about 20-something years ago. At the time, the one I had worked out cheaper than a landline or mobile.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

They still make pagers? Have not seen one of those in years.

Yes, they still make pagers.

Cell phones transmit, and pagers are mostly one way devices that receive. There are some places where transmitters are not acceptable; such as, a hospital where radio transmitters are thought to interfere with sensitive medical equipment. There are other places where transmitters are not acceptable as well.

I don't say I agree with the concern about transmitters; however, that is the way it is.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

... I am curious: Why do you leave them turned on, if you aren't on call?

I have the same question. That is one of the reasons for the poll.

[cariboo]

Back in the day when I was on call, from 6:00AM to 10:00PM, seven days a week. I left my pager and autotel on all the time. The reason being that the dispatchers worked the same hours, and no one else except my direct supervisor had the numbers. In the 10 years I worked the job, I never had a page or call after hours.

[mips]

Yes, they still make pagers.

Cell phones transmit, and pagers are mostly one way devices that receive. There are some places where transmitters are not acceptable; such as, a hospital where radio transmitters are thought to interfere with sensitive medical equipment. There are other places where transmitters are not acceptable as well.

I don't say I agree with the concern about transmitters; however, that is the way it is.

One guy I worked with back in the day ran a paging company on the side providing services mostly to the the medical profession, with the popularity of cell phones his business was dwindling and he migrated to SMS based cellular services. Last few times I've been to a hospital I did not recall seeing any doctors with pagers, they all had cell phones clipped to their belts.

Things obviously vary by country. I just did a google search for local paging companies and came up empty.

[sandyd]

Depends.
I don't really need to - I could just ignore the phone call, and my secretary will transcribe it from the database in the morning.

However, there are some things that require thinking, or are urgent - those are actually sent to another number that is also tied to the phone. Has a different ringtone though :D

[lisati]

I don't say I agree with the concern about transmitters; however, that is the way it is.
I have my doubts too, figuring that a well-designed piece of medical or avionics equipment that is being used correctly and is in good condition should be able to cope with mobile phones or laptops being nearby.

[KiwiNZ]

Even at Senior Management level I answered the cell 24/7

[coldraven]

If you are paid extra for being on call then leave them switched on. If not ........

Edit: To clarify my situation, I used to be paid to be on call. Now I am a volunteer for a charity and my pager is on 24/7.

[Grenage]

I'm not 'on call', but I answer the very rare calls I might get if something explodes.

[MisterGaribaldi]

Fortunately, I'm not in any kind of "responsible" position where I work, and none of the people up the chain of command from me are, to my knowledge, in any way, shape, or form "on call" either.

Then again, it's a state college, and none of us have anything to do with facilities or operations. ;)

[sorc3r3r]

Nope..No calls on Company cell phone after normal working hours.
The clients will get used to such pampering and I don't want to spoil them with such unconditional love thing

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

I have some rules about after hours phone/email/text calls.

1) If I am working on a proposal that can keep the people working for me employed, I will ask to be called if the negitiations need my input.

2) If there is a critical milestone due that day, I will ask to be called if the situation changes.

3) If it is normal day-to-day business, I have deligated some decisions to someone that works for me if I am not available. I get to work at 0700, the people that work for me get to work at 0900 to 0930. If a normal bisuness decision needs to be made 2 hours after I have left work, my deligates can take care of it. If my delagates are not available then it can wait until 0700 the next morning.

I have seen email or text massage from upper management at 2100 hours. They included “sent from my BlackBerry” or “sent from my iPhone” in the signature. None of them were really that important, and I never got a poor eveluation for not replying to them. It make me ask if they are trying to impress someone with the late evening emails or text messages that they could have easily sent 4 hours earlier. :)

[Statia]

I have my doubts too, figuring that a well-designed piece of medical or avionics equipment that is being used correctly and is in good condition should be able to cope with mobile phones or laptops being nearby.

There you have three conditions:

- well-designed
- used correctly
- in good condition

The first would have to be validated, the latter two monitored. Do you want to incur the extra costs for that and rely on it to happen (set up protocols, monitor adherence to protocol), or do you just adopt a "no cellphones" policy? Most hospitals answer that question in the latter way. Cheaper and more reliable.