Originally submitted as a LPT but removed after 7 hours. I was told to repost it here, so here's a direct copy of the text.
The TLDR:Dont use your phone at work and dont engage in work whatsapp, facebook etc groups. When you aren't at work, you shouldnt even think about work unless you are paid to be on call.
The LPT: The aim is to preload the idea in your manager and colleagues that you are someone who rarely uses a phone.When you receive a call from your manager you can predict what they're going to ask “Will you work shift X” or “Could you update me on work Y”. This is where you ask yourself whether you want to do that work and if its worth the pay. If your answer is no then just let it ring out, go about your day in peace.if you are up for doing it and have nothing else on; then answer after letting it ring for a bit first, or call them back after – remember the idea is to have them think you aren't around your phone very often.Ignore all group chats forever, you can engage once when you're first added but after that never ever respond.
The Hypothesis:Telling your boss “no” or replying with a resigned “yes” to extra work requests makes your manager think negatively about you.Saying yes and working the shift allows your manager to think that its normal and okay to interrupt your routines, forming a bad habitat of relying on you whenever they don't schedule work properly.Conversely not answering or responding at all results in your colleagues and manager thinking of you as a person that doesn't use their phone much and therefore cant be chased down about work problems on your day off. You will be judged on the actual work you do and not your propensity to answer the phone at random intervals.
Backstory:I used to be hounded by my boss to pick up extra shifts. I'd answer every message and every call, often to say i was busy and sorry but no – This convinced her I was a poor worker despite my above average results and positive customer feedback.I broke my phone and was uncontactable for a week, I let her know I would be in for normal shifts or would need to be informed ahead of time of any changes, I did not mention how long I would be uncontactable for.After that week I bought a new phone had 28 unread messages from her and 6 missed calls. Pissed off, I decided to not answer any more calls from her or any texts. They stopped after a month and she addressed this only once at work.Her opinion of me only increased over this period as I was judged on my actual work only.I have since worked several other roles and still refuse to engage in work chats or answer work related calls out of hours.It has not been a problem.
Final notes:This is part of work to rule or quiet quitting. If you're not specifically paid extra to be on-call then don't answer the call.I have told a colleague to do this when she complained of the stress of waiting for a call on her day off, who then grassed me up to the BigBoss, which was not fun – Don't talk to your colleagues about this unless they've progressed into a friend.My mental health is far better for having firmly separated my work and private lives.
EDIT: To the neoliberals in my DMs.No, doing everything your boss demands won't lead to a promotion, just more exploitation. No again, you're not a currently unlucky millionaire waiting to happen. You're going to work like a dog til you die. Might as well enjoy your time off.