To think this was unprofessional

[Tropicalpapaya]

Or am I over reacting? Went to an appointment with Restart (currently receive universal credit and have put onto the restart scheme to get back into employment after having a baby). The job coach I went to see kept going on my phone, putting his hand out to take it off me and check I’d received a certain email from restart (scrolling through email list to check it was there) and then opened my Google to search for the Restart portal to create a login. I just felt a bit weird about him going on my phone, as something personal could have came up. I could have typed on google myself if he had asked me too.

Yes, it's unprofessional. Scrolling through your emails so he can see what other emails you're getting, and opening Google where he can see search history? Totally out of order. If he ever tries to do it again, tell him in no uncertain terms that it's an invasion of privacy and that if anything needs looking up, you'll find it yourself.

How peculiar, I wouldn’t have handed my phone over though.

Why did you hand it over if you didn’t want to?

Why did you give him your phone?

I don't see why you couldn't have asked why you were required to surrender your phone to him.

I’d be on edge if he’d done that to me - I hate people grabbing my phone or trying to swipe if I show them a photo. Lots of personal info on my phone, plus private messages could pop up etc which he would have no business looking at. So much so, I’d have asked for / taken my phone back in your situation.

Jesus what a prick I bet he wouldn't have done that to one of his male clients.

The you’re right I probably shouldn’t have handed over my phone but he asked me to open my emails so I had my phone in my hand and then he went to get it from my hand and said he will look for the relevant email to check id receive it. After he’d done that he opened my google up and started typing in the search bar to find the portal website

Well you should have refused to hand it over. He had no business asking you to.

Well yes the op could have refused to hand it over but:-

She was probably taken by surprise.

This person is presumably in a position of power, I assume they could stop her universal credit on some spurious reason like she wasn’t applying for enough jobs.

I would complain, that is so out of order

Please complain. He should never have suggested it. You shouldn't have been put in a position to have to say no!

I think we have all been in this position at some point where a professional has asked us to do something and we just did it and then wondered about it afterwards.

I think it was wrong but you will be far less likely to comply next time.