Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Legal matters

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have any legal concerns we suggest you consult a solicitor.

confidenciality

10 replies

anniepanniepears · 20/07/2012 08:04

over past few weeks
a work mate and I have been chatting quite openly about looking for a new job ,
any way she has applied for at least 2 and tod me she was waiting on the refrence getting sent to our boss.
Fast forward to this week when I was using the printer in the office a work
I glanced at a letter that was lying on the desk requesting a refrence for the said workmate.When I next saw her I said see you have managed to get a new job she asked how I knew and I told her and only her I saw a letter about a refrence.
She has reported me to management for breach of confidencility and I am now being investigate at work. Does any know anything about this as I could not sleep last night for worring about this .
Anyone any advice

OP posts:
NickNacks · 20/07/2012 08:15

You didn't 'glance' at the letter! You read the whole bloody thing!!

I think you were out of order and if I were her I'd also be very cross

Next time if you're nosy, keep it to yourself.

shinyblackgrape · 20/07/2012 08:27

An investigation will be carried out and then, depending in the outcome, you'll be invited to a disciplinary hearing. There will probably be an investigation meeting beforehand which you'll be invited to

The investigation meeting can happen at any time, without the need for prior notice unless your disciplinary policy says otherwise. Which is quite unusual. You don't have the right to be accompanied at that meeting.

If your employer decides you are sufficiently sorry, they may give you an off the record warning and leave it at that. If they want to give you a formal sanction (including a verbal warning) or dismiss you, you'll be invited to a disciplinary hearing.

You'll get notice of that in writing and of the evidence your employer is relying on. You'll also be able to bring a tu rep or fellow colleague to accompany you. They can't answer questions in your behalf but can ask questions and clarify things.

After that meeting, your employer will write out to you with the outcome and you will have a right of appeal.

The sanction you get will depend on the environment you work in, whether you've done this type if thing before (or have precious live warnings) and whether colleagues have been dismissed/warned for dpi g similar.

I'm an employment lawyer and I would expect you to get a warning for this rather than dismissal but it depends very much on what your job is and whether confidentiality is important.

Your best bet is to admit what you've done, apologise and be very contrite about it.

I don't want to be unhelpful or kick you when you're down but you shouldn't be looking at documents on other people's desks and, if you do see something you shouldn't, you need to keep it to yourself.

Your employer should have a disciplinary policy which is compliant with the Acas code of practice on discipline and grievance. You can google that code and check it is compliant. It also has helpful explanatory notes which will explain the process.

If you need more advice, you can call the Acas helpline on their website.

tribpot · 20/07/2012 08:30

But this letter was lying in plain sight next to the (communal) printer, was it not?

I wouldn't have mentioned it to her .. but I might have helpfully taken her printing back to her desk ...

shinyblackgrape · 20/07/2012 08:31

It's not the reading that is do much the issue - it's speaking to the colleague after

Putthatbookdown · 21/07/2012 09:08

I think she only being honest about it and the colleague was openly speaking about it I mean she only discussed it with the colleague no one else
However it shows how careful you need to be at work about speaking too much
Keep your cards close to your chest as you may think someone is a "friend" but in fact they are first and foremost colleagues A lesson has to be learned from this

anniepanniepears · 21/07/2012 11:16

your right Putt the only person I spoke to about it was my colleague and honestly I did only glance at the said letter NickNacks

OP posts:
anniepanniepears · 21/07/2012 11:18

Thanks Shinny very helpful

OP posts:
Northernlurker · 21/07/2012 11:21

I expect your colleague fears you have spoken to others. I think you're best bet is to grovel and stress that you only spoke to her because it continued the previous conversation you'd had about her applying for jobs. Who's desk was it lying on?

anniepanniepears · 21/07/2012 11:53

it was not on the managers desk, I did not mention it others as I as I was not having conversations with anyone else only the person it concerned

OP posts:
Putthatbookdown · 23/07/2012 19:35

You could say she was confiding in you -you thought- which was true actually

New posts on this thread. Refresh page