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?)

I can't agree with you. It is not up to Op to ensure confidentiality and to take a professional approach, it's the duty of the HR employee. Op hasn't breached anything, that's on the employee.

Tell us you don't understand GDPR without saying "I don't know about GDPR" 🙄

What has the fact that you need glasses to see things close to you got to do with anything? Being "long sighted" doesn't mean you have superpower vision!

I think searching up the man on LinkedIn is going a step too far as it’s not guaranteed to be the same person and would depend entirely on if they updated their LinkedIn account. I think I would also be creeped out if some random person contacted me via linked and informed me they had seen a load of confidential information about me

I imagine if the op’s reports this incident to the company then they will make the man in question aware anyway. I’m sure victims of a GDPR breach are supposed to be made aware of the breach.

A snitch? Are you 12? People have lost all idea of privacy in public as the trend for loud phone calls on trains demonstrates. There could be bad actor looking between the seats who could do some serious damage rather than the OP who is basically posting a public warning. And yes - it’s not a breach of anything really personal but that’s just luck isn’t it? HR woman clearly wasn’t thinking about it.

The onlooker is not at fault as they should not be able to see anything. A reported breech is never going to result in the person reporting being penalised.

Not good practice no. But fairly sad that you’ve been snooping and want to go report them. Why bother? Says more about you than them.

The thing about handling confidential information is that you have to make sure that nobody else is given the opportunity to view it. The onus is on the HR person not the op. Yes it was nosey of the op but the fault lies with the HR person.

@Flyingintotheunknown I think I would also be creeped out if some random person contacted me via linked and informed me they had seen a load of confidential information about me

That's just you. I would be thankful for someone providing me with information that I can use to nail my enemies.

Did that make sense in your head?

This. She may be tired and not thinking.

This is specifically prohibited where I work. It's not just nosy members of the public we have to be concerned about, but people who will go to the press, share information online or use anything they see to cause harm/distress. If they can see it, they can take a photograph of it.

OP if you don't want to identify the woman to her company, you could just send them a vague 'I saw one of your employees working on a train and could read confidential information recently' email, so hopefully they'll all get a reminder. Hopefully she isn't the only person who works for them to have used a train this week.

It makes sense if you understand GDPR rules, which you obviously don't.

I don’t think it’s odd. I’ve seen something similar at least twice. Once was a HR person advising on a disciplinary on the phone on the train, and another time someone writing up notes of a HR meeting.

I wouldn’t think twice about this. It is not best practice obviously but I wouldn’t dream of reporting her.

Can’t begin to imagine wanting to cause a stranger a whole world of potential pain/disciplinary action by reporting them.

i asked what section of GDPR it’s breachingZ most people screech GDPR without having the first clue about it.

i am not sure how you read that as not understanding

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/personal-information-what-is-it/what-is-personal-data/what-is-personal-data personal data obviously

On Eurostar, which is very quiet, I’ve heard a manager giving an employee the sack by (very audible) phone; someone else ordering goods on their Visa card, giving the number, their name and all the details necessary for someone to jot it all down and defraud them. Waiting in the reception area at a busy A&E department I heard several patients giving their full identity details to the receptionist for everyone waiting to hear. People are very irresponsible and identity fraud is very common.

She shouldn't be doing it and you shouldn't be reading her screen.

So fucking lol that folks on this thread would be arsed getting in touch with the company. Yeah, she's being a bit thick but the likelihood of this having any real consequence whatsoever is vanishingly small.

I always wonder about the lack of confidentiality whenever I pick up my medication as the dispenser always asks for DOB, full name and full address. Pre online prescribing you would just hand in the slip and they would ask for the address to verify it was you.

I picked up a prescription yesterday and the pharmacist yelled “oh backed off I called you yesterday- wanted to see how you got on with the diazepam?”

Erm thanks for that 😂

I'm very surprised that anyone thinks this is OK.

I work in HR and she really needs to get a privacy screen if she has to work in public spaces. It is drummed into us about who can see our screen, not naming names in public spaces or in the open plan office etc.

I would have given her a heads up as I can only imagine she's blissfully ignorant that you can see her screen from the seat behind. I would get an almighty bollocking if I did the same so I'd probably try to spare her that but I don't think you'd be unreasonable to email the company.