To ask what you would do if you found someone sharing work information online?

[mummytoonetryingfortwo]

I stumbled upon a post on another social media platform where someone had posted complaining about their boss, but the screenshot they posted included their boss’ name. In under 90 seconds I had found their boss online and found her city, position, company etc.

People in the comments have repeated her name, and I feel as though she’s almost being slandered for something that’s totally normal within a work setting. Would you report this to the poster’s workplace or just let it lie?

Also just to add that the poster is 25. So not massively young.

I'd report the post to the site just as I would report on MN. If it was someone I worked with I'd tell my line manager. Breaches our social media policy and you wouldn't want it done to you, would you? If a colleague was slagging you off online you'd probably want to know. And get it dealt with.

This is why I’m torn. The poster said they were just venting, but if someone did this to me I’d want to know and want it dealt with. Which is why I’m torn between just leaving it (it’s been reported), or sending screenshots to their company.

I’d really appreciate some opinions because there’s a draft email sat in my emails, it makes me really uncomfortable to think of this woman’s personal info being essentially leaked because of an employee being unhappy

yes send it - poor woman and STUPID poster !

the poster has been very stupid and posted multiple pics of their face, I just don’t understand why you’d do it. I just feel sorry for the manager.

Do you know this person?
Unless they were very close and I liked them and I could "have a word" I would send the screenshots.

There are plenty of people who are less stupid and disrespectful who would be more grateful of their job I'm sure.

Edit to add - maybe consider sending from an email address that doesn't identify you, just in case there is unknown drama lurking that you could do without!

No, I don’t know her but she’s only about two years younger than me, so I do feel wary of the fact she could lose her job from this. Her post history details drug use and mental health issues, but at the same time you shouldn’t post like that.

If she lost her job, it will be her own fault. She sounds young enough to learn better, and hopefully she will.

Could you contact the poster instead, tell her how easy it was for you to find out the information and give her an opportunity to take the info down and maybe confess herself which might look better for her.

In under 90 seconds I had found their boss online and found her city, position, company etc.

Why did you do that, just out of interest?

Report to the forum, saying it's a breach of GDPR, get the thread deleted.

No point,,once it's out there it can be shared. I'd let the manager know, there will be social media guidelines in the workplace manual.

She’s aware, she deleted the post but all of the comments with the boss’ name are still up. She’s been rude to the people who have pointed it out, too.

Most workplaces have policies about not bringing your colleagues or company/institution into disrepute, and not saying anything which could harm the reputation of the company etc. Unless it's a tiny company, she will almost certainly have agreed to this policy as a condition of employment. So if she has gone against it, it's her own fault. It may be sackable, it may not, but that would be on her, not you. My company is really clear - never post anything negative about work if you're identifiable.

By the looks of it it’s a pretty big company. They’re over in the USA, but they’re a large firm.

Can you just forward it to the company or the person affected, has it been reported to the online moderators.

I’ve sent an email to the company

The company has already emailed back and said they will be taking action. I feel like I might have done something wrong but I suppose it’s too late now

My company regularly does social media sweeps on its employees there is every chance they would have found out without your help

You've done nothing wrong