Nasty e-mail

[Meganmeccano]

I have cancer and am undergoing treatment while working. A while ago I had to leave work early as I was hemorraghing meaning that I would miss a group training session a colleague had organised. Let's call her Fanny. I had told my boss I was ill and he said to go to the hospital straightaway and he would deal with everything. Later I e-mailed Fanny to apologise for missing the session and I just said, I'm afraid I had to go to the hospital as I fell ill. Fanny knows I have cancer; most colleagues don't. Fanny has bullied me since my diagnosis (said to my face I didn't have cancer as I still have hair, for example).

The following day, Fanny sent a new e-mail (not a reply) to me and a colleague I don't work with at all and don't know other than to put a name to their face, let's call him Dick. Fanny's e-mail was about 2 different, unrelated things, i.e.
Dear Dick and Megan,
Dick, please may you and I meet at 1pm instead of 2pm on Monday on project abc?
Megan, here is the presentation on project def.

So, a bit odd that Fanny put these 2 things into the same e-mail, but no harm done.

However, in this e-mail, she wrote, sorry you had to go to the hospital yesterday, hope it's not your cancer.

I replied to Fanny and said, please would you not share info. about my health with Dick?

Fanny never replied.

Today, I received a printed copy of this e-mail. Fanny had forwarded my reply to Dick, with "FFS!!!!!!!!!"

Should I mention this to HR or my boss? Fanny is a massive twat who treats people poorly; I think whoever printed the e-mail and sent it to me (Dick?) must think so too.

(If relevant, I have already resigned from work and told my colleagues as I am leaving for a new job elsewhere. My boss has already provided my references.)

Both - as an offical grievance. Fanny sounds absolutely horrific and her behaviour towards you is terrible. She needs to be officially reprimanded at the very least.

Yes show to email to HR with info about the rest of her behaviour..even if you are no longer there to suffer this idiot perhaps she can be dealt with so nobody else has to.

Sorry you've had to deal with Franny, and hope the rest of your treatment goes well.

Is this woman the reason you are leaving or is it due to something else? I'd ask for a meeting with my line manager and HR. I'm sorry you have cancer and that you are having someone behave like this towards you.

Can you give Fanny a kick in the fanny before you leave? She sounds a bitch. Definitely complain to HR.

Seems like Fanny needs to go on a course to learn how to be a human. Escalate to HR. I wish you all the best for your treatment 🙏

Fanny needs a swift punch to the face.
Failing that, HR will have to do.

Thanks, everyone. I thought maybe I was being oversensitive. Before this, I did already report Fanny for bullying with e-mails as proof of her insulting me, but we had to have an awful meeting (luckily on Teams) with my boss, me, and Fanny, who didn't speak and essentially it all ended up being swept under the carpet. Fanny used to be my team leader.

I will speak to H.R.

(And to my daughter's horse about the well-deserved kick.)

Definitely report the bitch.

Was the Teams meeting about her bullying you since you’ve had cancer? You’re protected under the Disability Discrimination Act, so HR really need to be careful.

How much of a cunt do you have to be to bully someone with cancer?!?

Definitely speak to HR. She's bullying someone with a protected characteristic because of that protected characteristic. I'm glad you are getting away from her but do hang her out to dry before you go.

I am so angry for you.

I'm not a violent woman, but this is one of the very rare times I would happily give Fanny a smack in the mouth.

Like others have said, absolutely raise it with HR.
But this time, I would explain this is the second time you've had to raise this issue.
I would be quite forceful and say that due to the employer's lack of action concerning Fanny's behaviour, they are opening themselves up to serious legal consequences.

This sounds to me like she's broken GDPR. I'd check with an employment lawyer, but breaking GDPR comes at a cost and could result in a compensation payout to you. If you feel able, I'd check this out.

'Let's call her Fanny'

She is really out of order OP, it's not acceptable behaviour. I'm so sorry you're being treated in this way.

It could be disability related harassment and a breach of data protection laws - health information is sensitive personal data and can only be disclosed in very limited circumstances.

She has behaved appallingly and you absolutely should make a complaint!

Thanks again to everyone.

Definitely contact HR. Put 'formal grievance' at the top of the email and ensure you mention the grievance is against 'fanny' for 1. breach of GDPR 2, bullying 3. disability related harrassment (cancer is a disability). List all the things she's said and done relating to your cancer. Say this is the reason you have chosen to leave and you are considering legal advice (even if you aren't, say you are - you really should speak to a union or lawyer anyway, even if you are leaving).