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

[Elphabababa]

I am on a train in the UK.

Someone on the seat in front of me is writing up meeting notes from work. All clearly visible through the gaps between seats. I am slightly long sighted mind you.

I have seen that:

• She works in HR for company X
• The meeting was for an employee named Y (I can see his name and job title), following him raising a grievance about a GDPR breach of his data within work.
• Subsequent notes of the meeting about this grievance.

She's still typing her notes now.

AIBU for thinking that people should be very mindful of what work they complete in public places? And that this is inappropriate, and if Y found out that these notes were being written in full public view, they would have a further grievance on their hands?

Or am I a nosey parker?

(Or both?)

It doesn't matter how overworked she is, this is a huge breach of client confidentiality!

It's completely unacceptable.

No, it's her failing to keep to proper standards is what would fuck up her job.

It's a complete breach.

How anyone could be happy that someone could be sharing their private information but working in public is beyond me.

It's also probably a breach of company policy.

I was at a very busy tourist attraction with a big adventure playground a few weeks ago and a woman was sitting on the floor marking school work. I didn't stop long enough to spy on exactly what it was but it looked like exam papers (I assume mock/practice papers).

The issue is not that I nor the OP saw the information but who else could have seen it. I could have been someone's classmate and informed a vulnerable child that they'd made a mess of their essay question. The OP could have been a nasty, bullying co-worker looking to cause trouble.

Yes, OP was nosey (as I probably would have been, in all honesty) but the existence of nosey people is precisely why an HR manager should know better than to be working on confidential matters on a busy train!

One of the reason people do it is because increasingly companies are asking too much of employees. People are working more than 8 hours each day, any moment they can grab they try to deal with some work related stuff. Three wrongs dont make a right: Wrong 1: Why is op snooping through seats and reading someone's writing. Inappropriate. Wrong 2: Person on train (least of my worrries in some respect. Wrong 3: Company not employing enough people or supporting them enough to do work in work hours only.

Now I know some here are lucky enough not to be overworked. They close laptop at work at 4 or 5 and never think of work again till next working day at the appropriate time in the office or at home in privacy. Many of us do not have this previlege. And before someone says quit or find a better job, its not always that easy.

Where I used to work we had mandatory training about laptop use and security and gdpr. They specifically mentioned not allowing anyone to see your screen in à public place if what you’re typing is sensitive. She would be in big trouble where I used to work.

Back when I was more het up about life I might have said something but now I swerve stuff where I can for a quiet and drama free life. I would stop reading and put it out of your head. Ironic though.

I cannot imagine ever having the time or inclination to read the laptop and then follow up on the actions of a complete stranger on a train after the event. Sure, she probably shouldn't be doing it, in which case let her know at the time. This just seems like yet another example of a busybody hiding behind "reporting".

You never know who people know on a train.

I was on a 4 table with 3 strangers and they spent 90 minutes talking HR about a company I used to collaborate with very closely over a long period of time. I knew about a quarter of the people they were talking about, including one person I had line managed until they moved to this organisation. Very personal stuff. I didn't say anything but I was aghast they were talking so personally. And full names too like Judy Dench (example) rather than just Judy.

So YANBU to think the train passenger shouldn't be doing this.

@GreenWheat surely you have the time if you're on the train, it's forced on you? As for not having the inclination, fair enough, but I don't think that means that someone who does have the inclination is wrong. Many a plot for a film or book has started by eavesdropping on a conversation or peeking between the gap of a carriage seat. Curiosity is generally a good thing.

you should definitely contact the company and possibly cc the person if you can figure out their company email

I can see a screen on my field of vision and have read it without even messaging too and lots of people are like that, it isn't sitting

Exactly.

It also doesn't matter that the data wasn't "earth shattering" or had no impact. It's still a breach.

I would 100% email the company or if I had his name let him know and give him some evidence for his grievance!

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

You have entirely missed the point.

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.

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,

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?

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

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.