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My boss forwarded personal details to my colleagues

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  • 20-07-2018 2:06pm
    #1
    bobsman
    Registered Users Posts: 296 ✭✭


    Hi folks. Won't go in to too much detail. I have access to my boss outlook. It's company policy. Access is granted. I had to take a day off due to personal issues at home. I sent email to my boss outlining why I needed to take day off. He said it was fine,

    When I returned to the office, his viewing pane was visible. See he forward my email to 2 staff members. Both are friends of his but same grade as me. One of them replied with a not very nice reply.

    What should I do in the situation folks??


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Comments

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    #2
    sexmag
    Registered Users Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭sexmag


    Report it too your hr department and go to union and state you want to lodge a grievance, this is a breach of gdpr id say


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    #3
    Gwen Cooper
    Registered Users Posts: 719 ✭✭✭Gwen Cooper


    Take it to HR.


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    #4
    bobsman
    Registered Users Posts: 296 ✭✭bobsman


    Thanks folks, I'm not in a union.

    Can there be repercussions for me as it's in his email? I emphasise, that I do have permission to access his emails.


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    #5
    Gwen Cooper
    Registered Users Posts: 719 ✭✭✭Gwen Cooper


    bobsman wrote: »
    Thanks folks, I'm not in a union.

    Can there be repercussions for me as it's in his email? I emphasise, that I do have permission to access his emails.

    Well if you have access and are allowed to read his emails, I don't see the problem.


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    #6
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    What was the nature of his referral of your e-mail to colleagues, was it for their info only to say you would be absent?


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    #7
    bobsman
    Registered Users Posts: 296 ✭✭bobsman


    The two colleagues in question do not work with me as such. Would make no difference to them if I was absent or not.


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    #8
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    sexmag wrote: »
    Report it too your hr department and go to union and state you want to lodge a grievance, this is a breach of gdpr id say


    How exactly?


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    #9
    Pelvis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭Pelvis


    I'm not seeing the problem, you emailed your boss saying you'd be out sick, he forwarded it to others.

    Did you disclose sensitive info in the email?


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    #10
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    If your colleagues have no reporting relationship with you then your boss had no professional reason to e-mail them about your absence, it is a breach of GDPR imo as your boss failed to adequately protect your personal information and had no professional reason to share it with the others


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    #11
    professore
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,857 ✭✭✭professore


    Sleeper12 wrote: »
    How exactly?

    Sharing personal information unnecessarily and without permission is a breach of GDPR.


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    #12
    bobsman
    Registered Users Posts: 296 ✭✭bobsman


    Pelvis, it was information which shouldn't have been sent to colleagues (IMO). The main issue is the bitchy response from one of the recipients. I feel the email was sent as a source of salacious gossip.


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    #13
    Pelvis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭Pelvis


    professore wrote: »
    Sharing personal information unnecessarily and without permission is a breach of GDPR.

    What personal information was shared?


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    #14
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    professore wrote: »
    Sharing personal information unnecessarily and without permission is a breach of GDPR.

    Absolutely agree


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    #15
    The Bishop Basher
    Registered Users Posts: 4,279 ✭✭✭The Bishop Basher


    OP - You need to report this to HR.


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    #16
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    professore wrote: »
    Sharing personal information unnecessarily and without permission is a breach of GDPR.




    That didn't happen here. At least OP hasn't said anything that would break GDPR.


    OP emailed saying they would be out sick. Boss notified people he/she decided needed to know.



    Please explain a GDPR breach in this case?


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    #17
    Gwen Cooper
    Registered Users Posts: 719 ✭✭✭Gwen Cooper


    Just one question - do the other people have access to his emails as well, since you mentioned that they're on the same level as you? Because in that case they would be able to read the email anyway.


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    #18
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    Rennaws wrote: »
    OP - You need to report this to HR.

    I agree, the Data Protection Commission has a standard letter of complaint which should be sent to HR (attached)


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    #19
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    Form attached


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    #20
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Mountain & Mole Hill spring to mind here


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    #21
    bobsman
    Registered Users Posts: 296 ✭✭bobsman


    Pelvis wrote: »
    What personal information was shared?

    Regarding an issue with one of my children who is ill.

    Not going into detail.


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    #22
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    This would be a breach of protocol for me, and it also sounds like a breach of GDPR. Personal information should only be shared for legitatmite purposes. If your colleagues needed to know you were out, that’s fine, but they should not have been told the specifics of why you were out.

    The question is if you want to complain officially, or do you think a quiet word with your boss would be best. He may not realise what he did.


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    #23
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    Sleeper12 wrote: »
    Mountain & Mole Hill spring to mind here

    Perhaps but its clearly important to OP


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    #24
    scamalert
    Registered Users Posts: 3,739 ✭✭✭scamalert


    id say bring it to your boss attention and speak to the person who made remark, nothing to do with gdpr as you say you have access they might as well, better to deal with it on personal level and outline next time that its for him only.


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    #25
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Stanford wrote:
    Perhaps but its clearly important to OP

    We're still waiting to hear back from OP. Very important detail in the story is who else has access the company emails? It's extremely unlikely that OP is the only one.


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    #26
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    scamalert wrote: »
    id say bring it to your boss attention and speak to the person who made remark, nothing to do with gdpr as you say you have access they might as well, better to deal with it on personal level and outline next time that its for him only.

    Absolutely not!

    This will prejudice any complaint to the Data Commission later if required


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    #27
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    Sleeper12 wrote: »
    We're still waiting to hear back from OP. Very important detail in the story is who else has access the company emails? It's extremely unlikely that OP is the only one.

    Access is strictly not the issue here entirely. OP has said about his colleagues

    "The two colleagues in question do not work with me as such. Would make no difference to them if I was absent or not"

    If so then what is the point in sharing the e-mail with them?


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    #28
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Stanford wrote:
    This will prejudice any complaint to the Data Commission later if required


    You are VERY quick to jump on GDPR & data commissioner bandwagon without OP explaining who else in the company has access to the company emails?


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    #29
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 17,083 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    Stanford wrote:
    "The two colleagues in question do not work with me as such. Would make no difference to them if I was absent or not"


    Says op. His boss might disagree.

    You shouldn't jump to conclusions or even offer advice until you have all the facts.
    It may end up being a breach of GDPR but no one can say it is till op gives all of the details


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    #30
    lawred2
    Registered Users Posts: 24,395 ✭✭✭✭lawred2


    I doubt GDPR covers a note about sick children.

    Either way - I would expect that your boss was informing colleagues that you would be absent. Not the most appropriate way to do it but forwarding emails is fairly standard practice.

    It's the response from your colleague I'd be taking exception to.


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    #31
    Stanford
    Registered Users Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭Stanford


    Sleeper12 wrote: »
    You are VERY quick to jump on GDPR & data commissioner bandwagon without OP explaining who else in the company has access to the company emails?

    It doesn't matter who has access, it is the company's responsibility to ensure that private correspondence is protected from parties who don't need to see it


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