Professionals in the UK are being warned about the risks associated with giving out their personal number for work.
Tech expert Juliet Moran from TelephoneSystems.Cloud has warned that sharing personal numbers for work can cause privacy risks, data concerns and burnout.
In a recent survey, 62% of respondents said having work items on their phones made it difficult to relax.*
From unwanted out of hours calls to potential data breaches, using a personal number for work can leave professionals exposed in more ways than one.
Juliet said: “Some people tend to give out their personal number for work but they aren’t quite aware of the risks that can come along with this.
“People can share your number without your consent and burnout can be more likely without a clear distinction between your personal and professional life but that’s not all.
“Our day to day phones are unlikely to have the proper security measures in place to keep sensitive data safe and secure. This means you run the risk of compromising this information which can cause serious consequences for you and your company.
“Ideally you want to be sharing a work number with colleagues and clients. If you don’t want the hassle of two phones you can also get an eSim that goes into your personal phone but operates on the business number instead.
“This allows you to keep everything in one place but also means you can handover and redirect information to other people at your company if needed.”
Why you shouldn’t be giving out your personal number for work:
Privacy risks
Handing out your personal number for work can come with privacy concerns as you run the risk of your number being passed around without your consent. This can lead to unsolicited calls and in some cases spam and harassment.
Data concerns
Work related messages may contain sensitive data that shouldn’t be stored on personal devices. Without the proper security measures in place such as encryption, remote wipe capabilities, or data backups, this information could be compromised. This could put you and your company at risk of data breaches.
Harder to scale, leave or switch roles
If you switch roles or companies, contacts who aren’t aware of this may still try to contact your personal number which can be a nuisance. It can also make it more difficult to hand over contacts and information when transitioning.
Burnout
Constant access to work messages can make it harder to switch off and over time this can make burnout more likely. Having a clear distinction between your personal and professional life helps maintain boundaries and allows you to recharge.
Unprofessional image
Clients and colleagues who have access to your personal number can sometimes cause you to come across unorganised and unprofessional, especially if you upload casual and
