Shawnee Love   •  
July 6, 2012

I rue the day that texting came into being. Yes, it is convenient for quick messages regarding where to meet up or running a few minutes late, but I have found texting to be so misused in the work setting that I would support a ban.

Not only are my clients complaining about sick texts but the stalker texts from candidates who REALLY want the job have become nightmarish for busy managers.

Let’s look at sick texts first. They arrive last minute saying “Hi boss. up all nite. sick today. call u later”.  As an employer, when someone lets you know they are sick and can’t come in, after hoping the person will be better soon because:

• You care about the employee and
• You have to figure out a way to get the job done,

the first question on your mind should be “When do you expect to be back at work?”  However, texting is not the place for a discussion about a person’s illness and readiness to return to work, so you have to call your employee back anyway.  Also, let’s face it, we want to hear the employee’s voice and background noise to establish how sick he really is. I advise all my clients to have it clearly written in their handbook that notification of late or illness must be made by phone or in person. Texts alone will not be accepted.

Want the job texts are another pain point. They are the lazy man’s way of following up. Candidates probably think texts are a good idea because people check texts.  However, candidates likely don’t make it onto a manager’s contact list until they are hired.  Instead, the manager will get a text from a stranger which is off putting even if the candidate remembers to put his name in the text.  Worse yet is the repeat texter who begins to irritate the manager enough to look for reasons not to move the texter forward.

What abuse of texting have you experienced?