It is important that your manager is able to get a hold of you for things like schedule changes or urgent needs. For normal day-to-day updates and information, however, it isn’t urgent, and any notifications should wait until business hours.

What would you do if your manager sent out text messages to the entire team with just casual information, even when people were not in the office, or when they were on PTO?

That is what is happening to the woman in this story, and she doesn’t think it is right. Employees should be able to opt out of these types of unwanted text updates.

Personally, I agree with her. An urgent text is one thing, but most of the information described should be an email. Read through the details below and see if you agree.

Managers shouldn’t be able to include our personal phone numbers in general group texts without permission

There should be a requirement to have employees opt in or out of general group texts.

This makes sense; many people don’t want texts that aren’t urgent from work.

If there’s a storm and my manager is texting the people scheduled to work to check in that’s one thing.

If a manager decides that an entire area needs to be part of meaningless texts that could easily be addressed by sending a mass email, they should have to obtain permission to add anyone.

When you’re at home, you don’t want to be bothered by work.

Yesterday afternoon, one manager sent the entire team a text asking us to check our email. I was away from the office without email access.

This morning, before business hours, he sent a meaningless text “congratulating” a team member for helping him yesterday. This could have been an email.

I can see how this would be annoying.

Each group text results in a chain of “reply alls” that aren’t simply annoying, but will disturb anyone that might be on PTO, on a day off, or on leave.

It should be illegal.

I don’t know if it should be illegal or not, but at the very least it shouldn’t be commonplace. Texting people on their time off is very annoying.

Read through the comments to see what other people say about it.

This commenter has a great suggestion.

Charging the business for the time would put an end to it very quickly.

Now this would be horrible.

Apparently it is illegal in some places.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a cashier and manager who came together to help a truck driver from another country.

Using a Google voice number is a good idea.

Managers often think they have the right to contact employees at home for any reason. Employees need to set boundaries with this type of manager.

If they won’t listen, escalate the issue to their boss or HR to see what can be done.

The post Her Managers Keep Sending Nonurgent Group Texts to Every Employee, Whether They’re Off the Clock or Not—And She’s Convinced This Should Be Illegal appeared first on TwistedSifter.