Any HR experts - confidentiality question

scottishf

Does anyone know that if someone revealing a work collegues date of birth would be in breach of confidentiality...and if there are repercussions of this.


thanks

Unstoppable_2

Considering that it's already in the public domain, I fail to see how it could be seen as being confidential. Your DOB is recorded in several publicly accessible archives.

SomeBozo

What a weird question.

In what guise has it been released?

I think something has happened and you want a slant on it.

Did you give away someones DOB or did someone else give yours?

Bozo

Emmzi

it depends if there was a financial or other loss because of revealing the information, and intent. would need more information to say.

scottishf

Basically collegues 50 birthday..but didnt want a big fuss....a friend of theirs wanted to buy a small gift in celebration looked up their birthday in their personal file(which they had access to).....this friend then told another friend who then told another and now its all around the workplace.

LittleVoice

scottishf wrote: »

Basically collegues 50 birthday..but didnt want a big fuss....a friend of theirs wanted to buy a small gift in celebration looked up their birthday in their personal file(which they had access to).....this friend then told another friend who then told another and now its all around the workplace.

That kind of behaviour (using one's access to personal information for a purpose other than that for which you have that access) is most certainly a breach of confidentiality. She should not have accessed the information even for her own purpose of celebrating a birthday never mind passing the details on to more people. I would expect it to be against any written code of conduct the organisation may impose on its staff.

scottishf

So what are the penalties for such actions?, and what if the person in question was not aware of the Companys code of conduct?

McKneff

Yes, it is a breach of confidentially, just as littlevoice says,
but more to the point, how does the nearly 50 year old feel about it.

scottishf

She is unaware of it so far

LittleVoice

scottishf wrote: »

So what are the penalties for such actions?, and what if the person in question was not aware of the Companys code of conduct?

If the company becomes aware - and particularly if there is a written code regarding confidentiality - then I would guess that the person would be subject to the disciplinary procedure with a first, oral, warning which could be removed from the personal file after a defined period as long as there was no repetition.

If the company does have a written code, it should have been provided or be on a notice board. Ignorance of the code in these circumstances would not be a mitigating circumstance.

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Sometimes people say they want no fuss but don't mind too much if it happens! Your explanatory post also suggested that the birthday person had not hidden the fact that her 50th birthday was approaching - perhaps it was just the actual date (ie day and month) which was not certain.

scottishf

LittleVoice wrote: »

If the company becomes aware - and particularly if there is a written code regarding confidentiality - then I would guess that the person would be subject to the disciplinary procedure with a first, oral, warning which could be removed from the personal file after a defined period as long as there was no repetition.

If the company does have a written code, it should have been provided or be on a notice board. Ignorance of the code in these circumstances would not be a mitigating circumstance.

----

Sometimes people say they want no fuss but don't mind too much if it happens! Your explanatory post also suggested that the birthday person had not hidden the fact that her 50th birthday was approaching - perhaps it was just the actual date (ie day and month) which was not certain.

She has specified her age...and the month..and that it was at the end of the month...but specifically said that she wanst saying the exact date. My collegue is really worried about this, and I have no idea how to help him.