WIBU to ask guide leader to change the way she emails?

[SockYarn]

DD goes to guides. Or rather doesn't go to Guides at the moment because of Covid. The guide leader has been trying to keep things going by emailing out weekly packs, and setting up Zoom meetings at notmal guide times. All great.

But when she emails, she puts every parent's email address in the "to" field. So I can see everyone's email addresses, and everyone can see mine. Most of the emails are very identifiable as most people use the firstname.surname@ emailprovider.com format with underscores or numbers or something.

I'm not that happy about it, but on the other hand I really appreciate the unpaid volunteering she does for the guides and how hard she's working to keep it going when they can't have proper meetings.

[MrsAvocet]

But she should be trained in GDPR Haffdonga
It may not be her fault if she hasn't had the training of course, but there will be someone in the organisation with that responsibility.
I volunteer with 3 different groups and they all stress the importance of this kind of thing. I'm the secretary for one club and every year when we reaffiliate to our governing body I have to make a declaration of GDPR compliance on the part of the club and it is my responsibility to ensure that the rest of the club's officers abide by the regulations.
Being a volunteer doesn't absolve you from responsibility to follow the law of the land.
There is a lot of red tape to negotiate as a volunteer these days and yes, it can be frustrating at times, especially when you have to repeat essentially the same training for different organisations. But it is necessary to maintain high standards. I would suggest that any volunteer who withdraws their services because they have been asked to comply with the law, probably isn't really suited to volunteering. Of course the error should be pointed out politely, but it can't just be brushed aside. It is illegal and it could lead to harm.

[grumpyorange]

@ProfessorSlocombe as you have no inside knowledge it's not quite the same.

We have separate training on an online system as well as division meetings etc.

It is most probably a mistake. In the first instance you should go to the leader.

If the leader see's no issue with this then you go higher.

In every case we ask the leaders to report a breech even if it is an accident. This is then handled appropriately.

OP just needs to send a polite email to point it out and then take the next necessary steps

[myself2020]

@PowerStruggle in theory, no interest whatsoever. if sod’s law hits and somebody gets hurt, a lot. not worth risking. not to mention that the leader would have to livd with the guilt.

[topcat2014]

Scouts have a system to send out to parents called OSM which is online scout manager. I am surprised guides don't use something similar

[Savingshoes]

"Use the Bcc (blind carbon copy) box when emailing a group of people. This will ensure you don’t share anyone’s contact details without their permission and protect everyone against spam."
That's from guiding's communication policy which can be found on their website. Just forward it to the Guide leader and ask if she's aware she's clicked on the wrong button.

[MissisBee]

Guide leader here. She should be BCC parents' email addresses. Once in a blue moon, I forget and put them in cc, but if it's a regular thing, I would politely tell her

[WyfOfBathe]

Scouts have a system to send out to parents called OSM which is online scout manager. I am surprised guides don't use something similar

We can use GO (Guiding Organiser) to communicate with other leaders but not with parents. I'd love to be able to communicate with parents on it, but any technological change leads to anger from the "I've been a Brown Owl since 1970! How dare they change the shade of the uniform!" crew

[softjellycell]

What do you think other parents are going to do with your email address?

Imagine for a moment you are a GP. You have a patient who struggles to maintain an appropriate boundary. They now have your email address.

[ProfessorSlocombe]

What do you think other parents are going to do with your email address?

writes a poster behind a wall of anonymity ....

[managedmis]

She needs telling

[TheMagiciansMewTwo]

It does breach GDPR but as you point out, she's a volunteer who is trying her hardest to keep an unit running in difficult circumstances. I don't think I'd bother pointing it out. Unless you can manage it in a 'let me help - this is how you bcc - sort of way'.
But I can't imagine there are that many people in the unit anyway so it's not giving lots of people access to your details. Plus you've said you use that email for extra-curricular activities. That's what Guides is. If they asked parents to keep in touch with each other about organising or attending an event, what email would you have given other parents?

[MrsAvocet]

Absolutely agree softjellycell
Within the groups I volunteer in we have, amongst others doctors, teachers, magistrates and police officers who may prefer their personal email addresses to be kept confidential. Plus we have families who have people within the wider community who they definitely don't want contact from. Plenty of youth organisations will include looked after children or parents who have abusive ex partners for example. It may not be someone else directly within the club or organisation but it only takes someone to ask a club member if they have a particular parent's contact details and someone vulnerable may be exposed.
In most instances of course nothing bad will happen. Most people are decent and honest. But not everyone is. Releasing someone's contact details into the club group does not guarantee it will remain within that group either.

[ASandwichNamedKevin]

OP tell her, politely, but tell her.

@Haffdonga volunteers working with children should be trained. So she will have heard about GDPR. If it's been an oversight on her part she can now rectify the mistake. Well she can stop doing it, but the parents' email addresses have all been shared.

Softjellycell has given the example of imagine you're a GP.
Also imagine your DD falls out with a friend with an overbearing parent who decides to contact you.
Imagine you're a Foster carer.
Imagine one of the parents is a CF who starts contacting you asking for childcare.
Imagine one of the parents is a lech who fancies you.
Imagine you just really can't stand one if the parents and now they can contact you.

Loads of reasons why you wouldn't want others to have your email address. Luckily there is legislation to prevent your personal details being shared.

[BlackAndWhiteCat01]

She's an untrained volunteer doing this in her own time out of 'the goodness of her heart‘

She’s not untrained. Leaders go through training.

However this has happened to me and I did pull the leader up in response. They have a duty of care.

I’ve also had another leader tell me I had to opt out of a WhatsApp group. Eh no, again.

Girlguiding provide PLENTY on GDPR, there’s no excuse for this nonsense

[Haffdonga]

Yes, she will have had training in safeguarding, first aid, knot tying and all sorts of useful stuff. It's unlikely that she'll have had IT training.

[SockYarn]

As soon as you start telling a volunteer they must do this and mustn't do that and making them feel that feel that they are being told off, then they very reasonably can choose to withdraw their services.

Exactly this. I do feel it needs to be pointed out - but politely and in a "sorry to be such a pain, if you could just" way rather than "you are in breach of GDPR and you must do" sort of way.

Because I very much appreciate how much time she's giving up for DD. I've been in similar roles in the past and have seen people being "that parent" by demanding X, Y or Z but never being prepared to step up and help out.

[RiftGibbon]

Ours did this a while ago. I messaged her to let her know that it was a GDPR issue, and I was sure it was an oversight.
She hasn't done it since.

[TheRoyallingStones]

Guide leaders don’t get formal training in knot tying. We do get trained in GDPR, safe guarding and the guide program and values

[ASandwichNamedKevin]

@Haffdonga if she's had safeguarding training it will have referenced matters of privacy and confidentiality.
Many guiders have already said in this thread that they've had GDPR training.

The leader would feel awful if her breach led to a serious problem, and it could, so OP should tell her. Nicely. And for sure send her thanks to the leader.

[Haffdonga]

Guide leaders don’t get formal training in knot tying

The knot tying comment was light-hearted but you have confirmed that IT training is not on the list of regular guider courses.

[user1487194234]

You are either that parent or you are not
You may well be,generally
But this is different,a genuine concern which you need to raise

[user1487194234]

Although everyone is on such a knife edge at present the risk is that she says Fuck it n more on line guides for me

[Beamur]

Just ask nicely. Personally I would not mind at all and would probably just feel a bit daft for getting it wrong.
She's probably just not noticed. But it should be bcc for all the reasons listed upthread.

[underneaththeash]

I’m a guiding leader too and yes we have to Bcc. Maybe she doesn’t know how to. I wonder if I can track her down and tell her so that you don’t need to (without mentioning any names) I’ll pm you.

[TheRoyallingStones]

Not IT training no, but using BCC is covered in the GDPR training. And it’s a million times easier to use BCC than Go (the online membership database).

And I’m sorry @Haffdonga, I did realise the knot tying comment was in jest! I’m not sure why I didn’t reflect that in my reply but it’s been a long week 😆