Phone number shared with whole team

[Wilma55]

Wee were asked at work to provide our mobile number so managers could contact us in an emergency. The list of the whole team's private numbers has been circulated to the whole team. I feel annoyed that my number has been shared without my permission. Is this a breach of data protection?

Yes, if you were advised this was for managers to use in an emergency, then only relevant managers should have access to it and the data should only be used in an emergency.

I had this at my work, was a hell of a battle to get them to understand why I was annoyed about it.

Then, of course, people started using my personal number to contact me about work - particularly annoying as I don't work every day and they kept adding me to the bloody WhatsApp group, and re-adding me every time I left. I'm happy to be in the group but on my work phone, which I will check in work time!

I had to be really firm about it in the end - GDPR coming in actually helped as everyone got training and suddenly realised it wasn't ok.

It's taken me a year but I've got everyone trained not to use my non work contact details except if it's an actual emergency (I also defined "emergency" for them too, just in case!)

I have officially refused to give work my personal mobile number. However close colleagues do know it and I trust them to use it only if essential.

Wouldn't bother me, i havr everyone's number is my phone too, thrn if they try to contact me i can ignore them if its my day off

To be honest it depends on the line of work in mine it's generally accepted personal mobiles are shared however they are respected unless am absolute emergency and only ever shared with management

So for example my managers have my personal mobile (pointless actually as we never switch out phones ofd) but it's agreed that only ever absolute emergencies would require the number to be used

It depends on thebteam

People are missing the point. The OP was specifically advised her number would be used by one defined group of people for a specific purpose. They are not allowed to just take it upon themselves to share her personal data more widely or use it for additional purposes.

Whether it would bother anyone else on this thread is completely irrelevant.

Tell anyone who phones you or even just has your number that this is no longer yours. Say it's now your child's phone and you have a new contract and telephone number so they should take it off their contacts list. And no, you can't recall your new number offhand so cannot give it to them.

Then tell management they are NOT to disclose your personal phone number to anyone at all under any circumstances.

Yes. I had to write to all the engineers at work to get permission for mobile numbers to be shared with managers, other colleagues, suppliers (for deliveries on site) and sub contractors.

What Flowery said.

If it bothers someone else or not isn't the point - the point is you can't circulate other people's details without their permission. This is more in the news since GDPR cam in in May, but it has always been the case under the DPA, and, in truth, just good manners!

Good idea from MarilynsDressOnAVent

I've worked for organisations that required a mobile number, but they usually provided a work phone.

I would not expect my private mobile phone to be shared with anybody without my permission.

I'm also involved in a fair number of societies and interest groups, and we never publish mobile phone numbers between members without permission.

It actually depends on whether it's covered in their employee privacy notice/policy. If it is the problem is then that you were told incorrect information.

How was the list circulated?