Panicking about work

[Petrararabbit]

It’s my first week in a new job and I’ve really messed up, I got muddled with an attachment and accidentally sent some confidential personal data from another employee to a completely unrelated person outside the company. It’s nothing that would be very useful for another person to have, but I realise it’s a breach of data protection and potentially upsetting or embarrassing. I’ve already reported it to my line manager but I don’t think she will see it until the morning. I’m in a total state worrying that I will lose my job or get a massive fine or whatever else. Please tell me I’m being unreasonable and that it won’t be that bad. I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight 😩

You’ll get told that you need to be careful, perhaps you should have called your manager instead of emailing them

You're Catastrophizing.

www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/catastrophizing

There's not much that can be done now. Apologise it probably won't be that bad.

Whilst data protection is a serious thing. You've done the right thing and advised your line manager. Did the attachment contain the other persons details, email, address, D.O.B?

If not then this should hopefully blow over. You are new and mistakes happen. I'd like to think it could be a slap on the wrist and carry on.

Only time will tell.

Can you recall the email?

@Biscuitandacuppa

Can you recall the email?

Of course she can, it only happened today.

Despite my hilarity this is a good point and one I was going to make. While what happened isn't ideal I suspect it'll blow over and it'll be fine. I'll keep my fingers crossed anyway.

You've done what you can to sort out a genuine mistake and been honest and you're new...you are genuinely sorry..you can't do more tonight so close the door on it for tonight so you can rest and sleep..you will feel better when rested to sort it out tomorrow...Good luck in your new job x

We have a specific procedure for raising a data protection breach. There's an email to send the details to.

We all fuck up mate just don't try and paper over it, which you haven't x

I can’t remember exactly what was in the attachment, apart from full name and possibly DOB too. Definitely no address or bank details.

I don’t have a number for my manager, otherwise I would have called. Maybe this will teach me to check my emails outside work hours.

Just in case it’s not clear from the posters above - have you tried to ‘recall’ the email? If the recipient of the email has not yet read or previewed the email you sent, you may be able to delete it from their inbox.

Not sure what system you used, but on Outlook you would click on your sent items & double click the message you sent to the recipient so it opens in a new window. Choose File>Info>Recall. You can then tick the box to say you want notified if recall was successful.

Anyway I’m sure you are already aware of what I’ve written, but it’s not clear from your post. We’ve all been there & it’s good that you owned up immediately. All the best.

Oh don't worry op! Just tell how you feel, that you've been worried sick. That will go a long way.

I started with a new company taking over/setting up an accounts dept. I was dealing with the accountancy firm doing a hand over. Anyway.....one of the directors and I were talking about the man that was doing it and I copied him in on my email to her calling him a Muppet!

I told her and we fell around laughing. She said well he is isn't he

Email recall only works within the same organisation.

It's not great, but there's nothing you can do now. I doubt you will lose your job over this, you'll probably get a warning.

Thanks everyone. Sorry, I now realise what you mean by recall the email. Unfortunately not, I realised my mistake because the recipient replied to it :(

I've done similar. I never send an attachment now without opening it. I caught myself yesterday nearly sending wrong attachments (right recipients but a letter that I wrote in December)

I started a new job this week too. Day 4....

It's going well but it's always so strange being the new person and trying to learn everything and keep up.

Don't worry too much about it. Mistakes happen and the main thing is that you have owned up to it and let your manager know xx

Unofficial verbal warning and some re-training to do on the internal mail system. Phew!

Take it on the chin.... and .....relax.

Please don’t worry! These things happens. Your manager probably need to do a short report as either a disclosure or near miss. How it happened, and why is happened will be discussed. That might be nervousness, not enough training, lack of attention to detail, illness, tiredness etc etc. And what you will do to ensure it doesn’t happen again- amend naming conventions for attachments so it’s clear which attachment should be attached to which email, or double check all attachments etc. and that’ll be the end. 😊

@Petrararabbit

Unofficial verbal warning and some re-training to do on the internal mail system. Phew!

Ah missed this - unofficial verbal warning is nada 👍🏽