AIBU to think writing confidential HR notes on a train is inappropriate?

Agree… kind of. But there’s a time and a place for confidential information and it isn’t on public transport.

I’m taken aback by the number of people saying it isn’t important. I’ve had three typed appraisals this year as part of training for a new role, and I would be royally pissed off if any were done in any kind of public place, whether a train, tram or coffee shop. Talk of nosiness or worse, snitching, downplays the seriousness of this, imo.

Privacy matters, confidentiality matters, and the woman OP has observed is breaching both. It’s deeply unprofessional (privacy-ensuring kit is widely available) and she should be held accountable for it.

In the OP’s shoes, I’d probably tell the woman and leave it at that, but even a whiff of pushback, and I’d be going to the company.

yes definitely find him on sm and let him know!!

Call the company and tell him

MNers can't wait to report people can they, it'd be a dream come true seeing something like this!

I would call the company's whistleblowing hotline to complain. They may then have to report the data breach to the ICO.

I work in governance and compliance, always have a privacy screen on my laptop. Only last week I was saying to a colleague that I can tell the names, jobs and employers of so many people I sit near on trains who do nothing to protect their data. It's frightening how ignorant so many people are.

She just said she could see it was about someone else alleging a GDPR leak. And obviously if she can see their name and company name then that's a breach all over again.

I wouldn't say anything though. I'd find it ironic. But it's hardly some earth shattering national secret that Gary from business development at Acme Widgets has an HR grievance.

Many years ago I used to very occasionally catch the train to London to the company's HQ. I always remember a colleague saying 'never discuss anything work related on the 7.45 am train as you never know who is listening'.

I can see why she might be - I don’t get paid for work travel (aka travelling for work, not commuting) unless I work as I travel. So I find myself trying to find completely non-sensitive work. Which is probably impossible if you work in HR.

Your highly nosey

Yes, this is not on and probably gross misconduct. I would probably reach over and tell her. If she was arsey about it I’d report to the company.

I’m impressed by your eye sight but baffled why you’d think it normal to read a strangers laptop screen. Clearly not your business. I just cannot imagine doing that.

But it is possible, seat gaps aren’t that small and a train is a public place. That is exactly the point, in public you do not know who is able to see your documents and if there is a possibility that they can be seen then confidential documents should not be handled in a public place.

@Elphabababa If you are both still on the train, get out of your seat and tell her, kindly.

Of course she shouldn’t be doing this. I’d expect at least a privacy screen. We also often use initials or descriptors such as ‘witness 1’ so that nothing is identifiable on confidential data wherever we write it. It would be a breach of policy for us and probably a warning for the employee.

However OP you seem to be taking some perverse pleasure in actively spying on her (you must really be staring to be able to provide this level of detail)) and a smug delight in the thought of reporting her. A more mature and kinder approach would be to be to politely make her aware. Is your aim to get her in trouble and feel smug about it, or to stop the breach?

The person (OP) seated behind her is peering through the tiny gap in the seats. That's not in most people's field of vision unless the make an effort to see through the gap,

If its confidential stuff no she shouldn't be doing it. For the exact reason someone else could peep through a gap in the chair. I'm nosy, and if bored on a train journey, I'd be reading it - its on her to keep it confidential.

I used to work for civil service and we had v strict rules about this.

You have entirely missed the point.

Why don't you look away?

I assume this is an airline seat you are in with the back of her seat facing you and you're both facing the same direction.

If you think what you see if confidential, look away.

She will have no idea it's in your line of sight.

If you really want to you could get out of your seat and tell her that you can read it.

This!! There are so many work related conversations that happen on trains and for some reason these people seem to talk as loud as they possibly can so that the whole carriage can hear them. And yes some of it is confidential. I don’t know why public transport and cafes have now become offices for people to discuss work related issues in earshot of everyone else.

It’s absolutely not fine!

The information security training I do for work warns about making sure your screen is not visible through windows in your own home. The onus is on the user to protect the information not the onlooker not looking and not using the information they see.

Mumsnet has millions of users, many of which may travel by train, and work while on the train.

Not that odd that this has come up.

Its not likely every thread on Mumsnet is going to be unique and never been discussed before!

Its fine, the assumption is that a) you shouldn’t eyeball other people’s monitors and b) you don’t know who is referenced.

Possibly she should put a privacy screen sticker on.

A what else are you gonna do on a hot train journey?
B it kinda proves his point and provides evidence to HR

Nosey or not, people should think about their surroundings when working on this sort of information/data - or even personal stuff like the young man who read out all hus card details in my hearing on a train. He couldn't know I am trustworthy. I didn't say anything, as he was still on the phone as he got off the train.

I might say something in this case, or I might report to the company. Probably depends a bit on my mood as much as anything else.