If you have an office with a door

*sparky* · September 2013

Do people knock if the door is closed, or take that as a sign that you are probably in a meeting or on the phone and just come back later? I have a new boss and he cannot stand it when my door is closed for some reason. If I close my door for even five minutes he will come up with a reason to knock and if I don't answer because I am on a call or something he will just come in. I have never in my working life had someone who does this and it is driving me nuts!

The other day I was actually on a conference call. One of the people on the call was in the middle of asking me a question, boss strolls right in and starts talking to me about something that was not even work related. Everyone on the call heard, and then I had to say "I'm sorry I didn't hear your question - can you say that again please?" SMH!!!

A few minutes ago I had someone in here with the door closed, so boss knocks on the door and comes in and tells me we need to discuss xyz "as soon as I am finished". So I wrap up my discussion and come out less than 5 minutes later now his door is closed. Instead of barging in, I sent him an email that I know he wants to get together but his door is closed and I did not want to disturb him so please let me know when he is free. Think he will get the hint???

I would say 95% of the work week my door is open. If it is closed there is a reason!

aglenn · September 2013

That's weird and annoying. My door is glass, so people will sometimes stand there and peek in and I will wave them in or wave them away. Otherwise they don't bother me if my door is closed (which it rarely is).

UnexpectedlyExpected · September 2013

Wow, that would irk my nerves. I have a sign that says "Please do not disturb (temporarily unavailable) - Emails Welcomed." No one has ever knocked on my door, nor walked in. I hope he got the hint from your email.

QueSrah · September 2013

What in the world? Sounds like an asshat move, from someone who doesn't trust his employees very much. I have a colleague who always keeps his door shut, so it's no big deal to knock even for something small. But for the rest of us, people (including our boss) generally respect a closed door as a sign that the person is busy except for something that's actually deserving of special attention.

jnnfrrose6 · September 2013

That's ridiculous. I don't have a door to my office, but several people do. Granted, they're basically all glass and the front "wall" is all glass too, so you can see if the person is on the phone, but I always knock if they haven't already waved me in.

*sparky* · September 2013

Thanks everyone for validating that this is crazy...so almost an hour after he had interrupted me and said he had something to go through with me "right away", he pops his head in and tells me he will see me now. I go to his office and he proceeds to waste 10 minutes of my time asking me stuff we had already gone through last week. I swear he just wanted to see why my door was closed and this was his way of covering. Ugh!

Mustardseed2007 · September 2013

I worked at a law firm for a while that had a red light you could activate when your closed door meant FOR REALZ, DO NOT DISTURB - it looked like a glowing red button. It was pretty awesome b/c when you used it even the partners would know that you were either on an important call or doing last ditch work towards an important deadline.

But my boss will usually walk in without asking, but my coworker/secretary's is right in front of my office so if I truly am on a DND type call, she'll at least let him know and try to stop him.

If I was pumping, though, I do have a lock I can use and I would do that.

DTNZ4Ever · September 2013

No one knocks on my door. I'm a mental health therapist so the assume I'm in session or on the phone with a client.

SoMoNY · September 2013

We have glass doors so folks can see if we are on call or meeting with someone.

I'd never open someones glass door without being waved in first, that's just rude

*sparky* · September 2013

ClaryPax said:
My door is always open, when it was closed people barged in without knocking because there is office wide stuff in there and it is one way to get to my boss's office.

I would get familiar with the mute button so people can't hear you on a conference call and just be short with him, I can't talk I'm on a conference call.

I know how to mute...he literally walked in and just started talking while I was in the middle of trying to listen to someone on the call and in a direct conversation with them. If I am just listening in I usually have my phone on mute. It just threw me off guard. I did not have a chance to mute.

litzo27 · October 2013

I think his behavior is immature. I would guess that he had some bad experiences in a prior position with staff taking advantage of closed doors for personal reasons. I would start putting a note on the door "Currently on a call/in a meeting - please do not disturb."

Crequito · October 2013

Ridiculous! Have you said something to him? I would've after the conference call fiasco. I used to have an office in our old workspace but now I'm in a cubicle and people walk up all the time and just start talking to me whether the phone is to my ear or my head is down and I'm concentrating on something. Very frustrating. I miss my door.

ss+el · October 2013

I work retail and share an office, but usually only about 15% of the staff have the punchcode to the door. (Anyone with the code can go right in, if there's something confidential going on - very rare - we stick a note to the door). There is a big glass window, but computer terminals face the side walls, so if someone is working away, they don't typically notice if someone is there. The problem is, no one knocks or they tap lightly, so they may stand there a while before getting noticed. So, I guess I have the opposite problem!

JessAnnJ · October 2013

When my door is closed, and it usually is people will knock and they will not come in if I do not answer. Also, if I'm pumping or on a conference call I put a note on my door that says conference call and they know not to knock and to come back later. Maybe you can try putting a conference call or in a meeting sign on your door. Your boss coming in like that seems extremely weird.

laurakaz13 · October 2013

I have a door and will write on the board outside if I am on a call. Previously, when I was pumping that door would be locked and I would write DO NOT DISTURB. That would not be okay with me and no one does that to me!

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