Can Debt Collectors Call You at Work? UK Rules

The desk phone rings, someone asks for you by name, and the person at the next desk is listening.

What the rules actually say

These are FCA rules in its consumer credit sourcebook, as quoted in a Financial Ombudsman decision (Financial Ombudsman Service). They apply to firms collecting consumer credit debts. We have put them in our own words.

• Timing and requests (CONC 7.9.4): no contact at unreasonable times, and due regard to your reasonable requests.
• Telling others (CONC 7.9.6): no unfairly disclosing, or threatening to disclose, your debt to a third party.
• Embarrassment (CONC 7.9.7): no acting in a way likely to embarrass you publicly, and reasonable steps to stop third parties finding out you are being pursued.

None of the three rules quoted says a workplace call is always forbidden. That is why the next section matters.

The shared phone problem

In the Ombudsman decision, a man complained about a collector ringing a number that turned out to be a shared work phone. The complaint was not upheld, because the collector had no reason to know the number was shared (Financial Ombudsman Service). One decision does not set a rule for every case, but it shows what the Ombudsman looked at: what the firm knew. A written request gives you something to point to.

What to put in writing

1. Say you do not want to be contacted at work, and give a home number, email or postal address to use instead.
2. Say when you can be reached.
3. Keep a note of every call after your request: date, time, who rang.
4. Complain to the creditor if calls continue, then escalate as Citizens Advice describes.

Debt Camel’s page on this goes through the same steps (Debt Camel). If the debt is old, our guide on how long a collector can pursue you explains where time limits come in.

Wages are a court matter

Fear of the employer finding out often comes with a second fear: that the collector can just take money from your pay. According to National Debtline, deductions from wages come from a county court attachment of earnings order, made after a county court judgment and after you have fallen behind on payments (National Debtline). Our what happens if you stop paying guide covers the stages before that.

Quick answers to the worries that keep you up

Can a debt collector call me at work?

The FCA rules for lenders and collectors say they must not contact you at unreasonable times and must pay due regard to your reasonable requests, and must take reasonable steps so third parties do not find out you are being pursued for a debt. These are quoted in an Ombudsman decision (Financial Ombudsman Service). So a call is not banned outright, but a clear request not to be contacted at work matters.

Can they tell my boss or colleagues about my debt?

Not unfairly. The same decision quotes a rule that a firm must not unfairly disclose or threaten to disclose information about your debt to a third party, and a rule that it must not act in a way likely to be publicly embarrassing (Financial Ombudsman Service). Citizens Advice lists telling someone else about your debts as an example of harassment (Citizens Advice).

What if the work phone is shared and someone else answers?

In the Ombudsman decision we read, the complaint about a call to a shared work phone was not upheld because the collector had no reason to know the number was shared. That is why telling them in writing that you do not want contact at work is worth doing early (Financial Ombudsman Service).

They keep calling my work after I asked them to stop. What now?

Debt Camel suggests keeping a log of every call, then sending a written complaint after about a week that states your contact preferences, how many calls came after your request, and, for a loan, card or overdraft, that you will go to the Financial Ombudsman if it continues (Debt Camel). Citizens Advice says to complain to the creditor first and keep copies (Citizens Advice).

Can a collector take money straight from my wages by contacting my employer?

Not on its own. National Debtline says an attachment of earnings order is a county court order, made after a county court judgment where you have fallen behind on payments (National Debtline). A collector ringing your employer is not that process. See our know your rights guide.

Where do I complain if they will not stop?

Citizens Advice says to complain to the creditor first. If the debt is with a bank, building society or card firm and it is unresolved, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service (Citizens Advice). The FCA does not take up individual cases but can act against a firm.

Where can I get free help with the debt itself?

StepChange offers free, impartial debt advice on 0800 138 1111 (StepChange). Debt Camel notes that an adviser may be able to contact creditors for you. If you are thinking of simply not paying, read our what happens if you stop paying guide first.

Read next

• Will Debt Show Up on a Job Background Check UK? (2026)
• How to Write a Debt Validation Letter UK (2026)
• Debt Management Plan UK: How It Works and What It Costs
• How to Rebuild Your Finances After Debt (UK Steps)