Cell Phone Office Etiquette

[dmhr25]

My KT and I share an office.  She sits about three feet from me.  She has extended, long conversations on her cell phone daily.

I'm from the United States, specifically the Midwest. I consider this very rude behavior.  Is this just the norm here?  Is she being rude?  Does she know she's being rude and (likely) doesn't care?

I would appreciate any cultural context.

[flukeriffic]

Same thing happens to me everyday...except I'm in the Teacher's office. So multiply that cell phone conversation thing by about 10 more people. I just bust out the headphones or ear plugs. Seems like its normal here. My co-teacher looked shocked when I told her I put my phone on silent during school.

[oskinny1]

I am not sure how talking on one's phone while in their office is considered rude, but to answer your question, there is absolutely zero phone etiquette in Korea. You'll have people loudly talking away while in movie theaters, at funerals, weddings and any other place that you think would be off limits.

[Brirish]

It's just not considered so rude here. Phone etiquette is different. To give you a bit of an example, back in the UK I worked for a company that sold a travel-related product all over the world. I worked in the Korean market, meaning I was often required to call Korean customers. I would often call someone, they would pick up the phone, only to wait for me to introduce myself before saying they're in a conference - which I could hear going on around them. Now, if I was calling a British customer who was in a conference or something, I would think they'd just not answer the phone. But mobile phones just aren't treated as such an interference or irritation to the world around the person holding the phone in Korea as maybe they would be back home.

She doesn't realise she's being rude because in Korea she's not really.

[dmhr25]

Thanks for the insight, everyone!

I will no longer take it personally...

To someone who questioned why I found it rude: I find it rude because she is not being considerate of those around her (me) while she is talking on her cell phone.  Her loud voice and the length of the calls distract me from doing my work.  I don't mind a short conversation.  However, long, personal calls have no place in a shared office.

However, as this seems to be the norm for office etiquette here, I will accept it.  When in Rome!

[hankmcmasters]

i'll have to take a different slant on this and say that regardless of the norm, if she is distracting you from your work you should talk to her about it.  i doubt she could focus on her work if you were talking out loud in English for long stretches of time.

i'm in the teachers office with the vice principal, and people whisper into their phones, if they even talk on them at all.  there was one teacher that left her ringer on, she got lots of calls, someone complained, and now she keeps it off.

[dmhr25]

I should have also mentioned (instead of making it all about me) that she will even shoo students away when they come to our office!

I really don't feel like I can talk to her about that, though.  What am I supposed to say?  "Ummmm...  yeah, you're supposed to be here helping the students.  You know that, right?"  (This never happens during class - only when in our office.)

It just seems so obvious that I would feel really rude pointing it out.

[wafflebunny]

i'll have to take a different slant on this and say that regardless of the norm, if she is distracting you from your work you should talk to her about it.  i doubt she could focus on her work if you were talking out loud in English for long stretches of time.

i'm in the teachers office with the vice principal, and people whisper into their phones, if they even talk on them at all.  there was one teacher that left her ringer on, she got lots of calls, someone complained, and now she keeps it off.

Um thank you. Some people put it on culture when in reality just because something is apart of one's culture does not make it a completely positive thing.

[portlandzach]

a lot of my teachers have SUPER LOUD ring tones....to me, seems a little bit unnecessary...oh well...

[emwsu]

My office connects to the english classroom and when there isn't a class in there most teachers from my office will take their calls and meetings in there. I have noticed they make more of an effort to go to the classroom when there are other Koreans in the office (people who will understand) if it is just me they will stay at their desks.

[justanotherwaygook]

The only time I've seen some sort of cell phone etiquette (by our measure) is in class and on public transportation.

[Yu_Bumsuk]

I am not sure how talking on one's phone while in their office is considered rude, but to answer your question, there is absolutely zero phone etiquette in Korea.

Sure there is - not answering your phone drives Koreans nuts. I'll often just leave my phone off for long stretches or in my desk at work. Sometimes my missed calls history will look something like:

chris
songmin
songmin
songmin
CRYSTAL
Mark2
MrPark
MrPark
MrPark
MrPark
MrPark
jason
Eunju
Eunju
Eunju
Eunju
Eunju

[lethargicliz]

My KT and I share an office.  She sits about three feet from me.  She has extended, long conversations on her cell phone daily.

I'm from the United States, specifically the Midwest. I consider this very rude behavior.  Is this just the norm here?  Is she being rude?  Does she know she's being rude and (likely) doesn't care?

I would appreciate any cultural context.

I'm from the midwest as well, and the 7 other teachers in my office talk loudly on their cell phones. I think it is just the norm here. While desk warming I can hear their phones go off all day, so I just turn up the volume on my headphones and try to ignore it. I used to teach back in the states and I always turned my phone on silent and left it in my office. I know that my KT's dad is having health issues and she has two little children, so her phone was probably ringing off the hook because of them. I would just try to ignore it if you can, or try to have a conversation with them. 

[oskinny1]

I am not sure how talking on one's phone while in their office is considered rude, but to answer your question, there is absolutely zero phone etiquette in Korea.

Sure there is - not answering your phone drives Koreans nuts. I'll often just leave my phone off for long stretches or in my desk at work. Sometimes my missed calls history will look something like:

chris
songmin
songmin
songmin
CRYSTAL
Mark2
MrPark
MrPark
MrPark
MrPark
MrPark
jason
Eunju
Eunju
Eunju
Eunju
Eunju

Yeah, seems that every call is a life or death situation. I go crazy when you here someones cell phone ring for minutes on end, then as soon as the caller gives up they try the desk phone. After 50 or so rings on that it's back to the cell phone. Don't people ever think "Hey, I'm calling a teacher. Maybe they are teaching right now and that's why they aren't answering"? Of course, I have seen a number of teachers stop class to answer their phones, so who knows anything these days?

[lorabora]

Taking calls is fine as long as you don't over abuse it. Usually my coteachers would silence their phone and use it during breaks or use their office phone to call for emergency.

[kerrym]

I've seen teachers take calls in the middle of class, I've seen them run off the court in the middle of a volleyball game to take a call, I've seem them take a call in the middle of teacher's meetings, I've seen male teachers take a call while taking a leak, I've seen teachers taking a call while brushing their teeth, I've seen teachers take a call THEN take a big bite of pizza and I've seen teachers walk into a wall while taking a call.

The worst I ever saw outside of school was a mother talking on her phone while taking her screaming infant with a broken arm into the x-ray room.

[scravens]

these are the breaks. Things are different here, so just join the party. Sneeze all over your hands and then go put your hands in the community pop-corn. Or you could just sneeze right on it; you'll fir right in. Also don't wash your hands after wiping your bum, that would make too much sense. There are a million things that are perceived as different and moronic from a westerners eyes and it is safe to assume it is the same for them when they go to Canada or somewhere that we like to call home. The point is to deal with it and take it with a grain of salt.