Opinion

This is the new phone hell in the workplace

Younger workers who don’t say hello when they answer a call need to know it’s a problem, especially in the workplace.

Pilita ClarkColumnist

Updated Jul 21, 2025 – 1.43pm, first published at 10.51am

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The other day, a recruiter in the US posted something online that quickly racked up an improbably large number of views.

This was no rant about war, strife or Donald Trump. It was merely an observation made by a heavy phone user that a lot of workers in their 20s now answer calls without saying “hello”, “hi” or indeed anything at all.

Financial Times

Pilita Clark is an associate editor and business columnist at the Financial Times. She writes a weekly column on modern corporate life, as well as features and other articles.