Right to Privacy - Home Phone Number/Employer

[sglendevon58]

Does my employer have the right to insist on having my home phone number or mobile number? It is not necessary for my job role - I am a 9-5 clerk, not management.

[matt v atos]

Would it be in in your contract terms ?

[maroondevo52]

Office policy I would think, employers do it so that people can be reached in emergencies.

[fkofilee]

That is correct, it's required for emergencies.

However only one number is needed. What's the story on this one

[Emmzzi]

you seem unduly suspicious. Give them a cheap PAYG mobile number and never turn it on, if you are worried. Tell them you have no home phone line; many people don;t.

 

You do need to accept the consequences of not knowing if the office is closed by snow, or having no one contacted if you are in hospital, however.

[ericsbrother]

It is common sense to have a phone number that you can be reached on. You can stipulate who may call it and for what reason so for example you didnt turn up for work one day and hadnt contacted them they could ring you before they called the police and reported you as a missing person.

[matt v atos]

I can see the OPs point my friend gave over her number not thinking anything about it' started to get calls on her days off asking to cover for people ringing in sick.

[renegadeimp]

Then tell the employer to stop contacting her like that or it will be considered harassment.

[Sidewinder]

No problem with the employer having the number - it is how it is used where the questions may arise.

 

My employer has my home number, personal mobile number and my wife's mobile number so that in the event of a problem or an emergency, attempts can be made to contact me by an alternative means to check on my welfare (I am field based so slightly different, although the principle is the same) or to notify my family that something has happened.

 

Thankfully there has never been a need to use any of the numbers, and I do not have a problem with the employer holding the information. If however they were to start contacting me over a weekend or whilst I am on holiday then this would be entirely different and I would consider withdrawing my permission for them to have or use those details.

 

Ask why they want the number. If you don't like the answer then impose conditions on when they can and can't use it.

[Ganymede]

I can see the OPs point my friend gave over her number not thinking anything about it' started to get calls on her days off asking to cover for people ringing in sick.

Is that not normal?

 

Used to happen to me all the time when I worked in retail.