Only in case of emergency call coworkers in the spare time

Colleagues, employees or supervisors should only be contacted in an emergency at home

13.02.2012

At the present time, more and more employers require their employees to be available at any time of the day or night. Above all senior executives are often obliged to be reachable on weekends, for example. Colleagues and supervisors should, however, with calls outside the normal working hours strongly withhold, as the expert for etiquette Bettina Geissler from Noderstedt, stressed in an interview.

Many calls are unnecessary and can wait until the next working day
Geißler reports that it „There are many calls that are not necessary“. The caller should therefore ask the question, „if the call really needs to be“. If it burns in the company, of course, a call is appropriate. If a permanent accessibility was agreed in the employment contract, then employees could also be called. This also applies to, for example „call duties“ as they are often in social institutions aisle and prayer, reports pedagogue Sebastian Bertram. But here, too, the times must be clearly clarified. However, there is „few positions where that is really needed“, emphasizes the expert.

The note should also be considered from an economic point of view. If employees are unable to mentally switch off and have sufficient recovery, they may eventually experience stress symptoms. In the worst case, depression or a burnout syndrome. This in turn increases the sickness rate and provokes higher failure rates.

Calling colleagues or coworkers in the morning or evening in the free time, should not become the rule. A subtle variation is sending an email or SMS. Then it is left to the other party, „whether he perceives the message and reacts to it“, says Geissler. But then the sender should be prepared that no answer comes back. If the case is urgent, a call is better. If the case is not urgent, you can save sending an SMS. Then the information or question also has time until the next working day.

Bertram responds, too „Sending text messages puts the recipient in tension“. If no immediate decisions have to be taken, the clarification of a matter also has time until the next working day, according to the social worker. (Ag)

Picture: Grey59