Work stress - keeping in touch & confidentiality concerns

[CamelToeBalls]

I'm currently off work with work related stress, largely due to bullying at work which my LM and their LM has passively allowed and done nothing to help rectify.

Can anyone advise on privacy and confidentiality.

I strongly suspect my line manager is disclosing my issues, details of what I believed were private phone calls between her and myself as well as my occupational health questionnaire with the team manager who manages the team I worked in?

Usually we keep in touch via text/email or mobile calls but today she stated she was going to phone me via her laptop using Skype. During the conversation it was clear she was pressing the mute button while I was speaking. She was speaking without pressing it off again resulting in broken conversation. I said the line was bad...her response was to say 'you're not on loudspeaker'.

It was only afterwards I considered she was maybe using a 'squat box' so someone else could be there and hear what I was saying and possibly coach her on what to say.

If she had another person in the room while I was talking about my mental health and fears of returning to work with the bully's all while this person was listening without my consent has she done anything wrong or is this type of underhanded behaviour ok in line management

She knows I have major issues with the lack of privacy and confidentiality in there and I've told her that I want anything I discuss with her about my issues to be treated in strict confidence between myself, her & HR, which she agreed.

It feels like I'm being completely set u, I'm so angry I want to confront her but I know she'll deny it and make be sound like a loon.

Any advice?

Do you have any proof that your issues are being disclosed?

Yes as the three of us had a meeting last month where it was revealed that she's disclosed what is said about how particular people are treated on the team by one bully to the team manager. This manager then went mad and had a meeting with her team stirring the pot, saying some of what I'd said and enflamed the situation.

I said there and then that that was outrageous and a total breach of confidentiality to which they both shouted me down saying they both need to know

The problem is the other LM is very hostile and protective of her own team. She just won't accept their bad behaviour has caused me to become ill.

Since this meeting I've been adamant I don't want anything I say being passed to this other LM.

I suspect she was in on the Skype meeting today but I can't prove it.

Anyone?

It all sounds very unprofessional.

Your LM shouldn't be discussing your health condition with anyone else without your knowledge or permission.

Do you have HR or Union representation?

What is a squat box?

It all sounds a bit of a mess. I don't think it would be unusual or unreasonable to share work-related information with the team manager (presumably your second line manager?), especially as you're off with work related stress. However, your manager shouldn't ever have promised confidentiality if he/she was intending to share what you'd said.

It sounds like the team manager dealt with the issues that you had raised very indiscreetly and insensitively. Having said that, I do wonder why you are reporting things back to your line manager about other colleagues if you do not want some action to be taken.

It certainly wouldn't be ethical for someone to listen in on a private phone call without your consent. If I need someone to listen in, even to an insignificant conversation, I would always let the other person know in advance.

I hope you feel better soon.

A squat box is just a speaker system which is used for conference calls.

Thank you for the reply @French2019 that kind of confirms what I thought, it is a mess and it's definitely being mis-managed.

The reason I'm telling my LM about the issues was initially obviously expecting help and some support. It didn't come.

She's friendly with them all and didn't seem to accept what I was saying was my experience. She always acted in denial and seems to make out like it was just me being sensitive.

She is obviously keen to try and get me back to work as annual leave period is about to start and work is piling up so I've again had to remind her of why I feel I can't.

Nothing has changed and they haven't acknowledged that the behaviour I've been experiencing has been wrong and damaging.

Their actions have compounded the stress, the anxiety that she's fighting against me behind my back and being indiscreet makes me feel extremely vulnerable and let down.

Go back to HR and ask for help. If you are in a union, ask them for help too. Not in a union? Time to join one.

(And I think OP means a "squawk box" , like a conference phone where the phone acts as a loudspeaker)

You could of refused to answer the Skype call if it made you feel uncomfortable you are under no obligation to answer a video call as long as you keep reasonable communication, otherwise it would just be more work related stress which obviously will hinder your recovery . They should be doing everything possible to help you go back to work, you can request meetings in public places such as coffee shops etc

Have you raised a grievance about the bullying behaviour? If not they have no basis really to investigate and also can’t say the behaviour was wrong or damaging because they only have your side of things.

It sounds like you need to decide how you want the bullying to be dealt with and follow your organisations policy on this, if you have evidence that your confidentiality has been breached I’d certainly be raising it formally.