Colleagues told reasons for dismissal

[Kogong]

Hi. I was recently sacked from my job of over 10 years (performance related dismissal). However within minutes of being sacked I started to receive messages from colleagues and it immediately became apparent that they had not just been told I was sacked, but they were told the exact reasons for my dismissal. They were not my managers nor would their work be affected by my leaving, so I don't see any reason why they need to know the reason for my dismissal.
Obviously I am still feeling a bit of shock over being sacked so I don't know if I am being oversensitive, but can anyone advise if it is normal to tell people the reasons for their colleague being sacked or if this is a breach of GDPR since the reason for my dismissal is my personal information?

It’s not a breach of GDPR and technically the reason for your dismissal doesn’t count as personal information. Employer’s mostly don’t choose to share this info with employee’s because it can become awkward, and if the reason was discriminatory or wrongful then they could be in legal trouble for sharing it obviously, but if the termination was for good reason e.g. poor performance then they can share that if they want to, some employers do because it serves as a warning to other employees!

Came on to say exactly this. Sorry OP!

Thank you.
I am just a bit upset as I have been in this role for quite some time and have put in a lot of work, but the system we use was changed when I was on maternity leave and I never managed to get to grips with it when I returned. So naturally it's upsetting to be sacked in this way, and then have the thought of my colleagues gossiping about it!

Thanks for your help.

Unrelated to whether or not your employer was right for disclosing the reason for your dismissal - Did you raise the issues you were having with the new system and were you supported/provided with further training?

@GrapeBerry Yes, I did raise this issue and I was provided further training, but unfortunately I still struggled and then I made a mistake which led to my dismissal.
Quite upsetting but maybe this is an opportunity to explore a career change.

No your colleagues should not have been told why you were sacked. Also, get some legal advice as to whether the sacking is fair or maternity discrimination. Ie as you were away when the change in it system occurred, you weren't learning the ropes along with everyone else. If you were then not properly supported on your return or were treated differently to your colleagues due to maternity leave it is discrimination.

Are you sure they were told? Or would they have known you were struggling and put two and two together when you suddenly disappeared?

I am seeking advice but to be honest I did make a mistake and it seems they are perfectly within their rights to sack me. I have been in the same job since uni so it's just a bit of a shock.
@Lovenpic I am fairly certain that they were told as I received messages from people in other departments who were not aware of the issues I was having. I also messaged a close friend who told me exactly what the team was told.

This sounds like it might be worth looking into more.

Was the training you got the same as the others got when it was brought in? Or did you get "training lite"? How long was their training compared to yours? Did they get professional training from the company that provided the new system and did you get the same, or did you get "Dave from IT will take you through it"? Do you have any former colleagues who you could ask?

This might be a "Pregnant Then Screwed" job.

Handy for a bellend manager to get rid of you when you are now in a position where you may need to take time off for child illness etc.

Where I work that’s a big no and i’d be submitting a complaint.