Can Debt Collectors Call You At Work?
Even at the best of times, calls from debt collectors are annoying and interrupt your life. One of the most stressful situations to receive a call from a debt collector is while you are working and trying to earn a living. In addition to taking you away from the things you are trying to accomplish, your phone call can be overheard by an audience you would understandably like to keep your financial struggles separate from. This brings up a good question: can debt collectors legally call borrowers at work?
Background on Debt Collectors and Why They Call You at Work
First things first – understand the entire reason why a debt collector is employed. U.S. debt collection agencies employ just under 130,000 people through about 4,900 agencies and they are all employed for one main reason – to get borrowers to pay outstanding debt. Therefore, debt collectors are not above engaging in aggressive tactics in an attempt to get in touch with you and try to get you to submit a payment. In addition to scouring the internet and any documents they can access for contact information, debt collectors may even call relatives or other people they think may help them find a borrower who owes money. If the number that they gained access to happens to be your work phone number, you may find yourself on the receiving end of this kind of call while at the workplace.
Legal Protections From Workplace Creditor Harassment
Some phone calls by debt collectors are legal; others are not. However, that doesn’t mean that illegal phone calls don’t also happen. Debt collectors are notorious for engaging in harassing behaviors that often fall outside of what they are legally allowed to do.
Fortunately, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act offers protections for debtors from debt collectors’ activities. In addition to stipulating how and when a debt collector may contact you, this federal law also specifically limits the ways a debt collector may communicate with you in the workplace. It asserts that a debt collector may not call your place of employment if they know or have reason to know that your employer doesn’t approve of them calling your job.
Reacting if You Get a Collection Call at Work
If you receive a collection call at work you should immediately:
- Tell the debt collector not to call again because you are not allowed to receive personal calls at work
- Write down the date and time you asked the debt collector not to call you
- Follow up with a written letter confirming this conversation
Additionally, if you are facing mounting debt that you see no way out of you should consider turning to an experienced bankruptcy attorney for help.
Are You Looking for Relief From Mounting Debt?
Being trapped under debilitating debt is something that no one should have to live with. Finding relief from your debt is not something that you have to do on your own. As the Plantation bankruptcy attorneys at Nowack & Olson, PLLC, we are an experienced legal team that can help you review and fully understand your options before making the best choice for moving forward and getting a fresh start. To learn more about debt relief options and how bankruptcy would work in your individual situation, contact us today for a free initial consultation.
