Confidentiality during a suspension from work

momo1979

No-one should be "in the know". The matter does not involve other members of staff.

The HR letter states that "only those with a legitimate reason to be involved" should have any information. Therefore an entire department should not be chit-chatting about it.

And I have already dealt, as far as I can, with the reason for suspension. I didn't ask for advice on that. I asked how to deal with the rules applying to me and not my manager.

It seems like most people on here rather than giving advice on the question asked, get on their high horse and provide sanctimonious preaching instead.

marybelle01

momo1979 wrote: »

No-one should be "in the know". The matter does not involve other members of staff.

The HR letter states that "only those with a legitimate reason to be involved" should have any information. Therefore an entire department should not be chit-chatting about it.

And I have already dealt, as far as I can, with the reason for suspension. I didn't ask for advice on that. I asked how to deal with the rules applying to me and not my manager.

It seems like most people on here rather than giving advice on the question asked, get on their high horse and provide sanctimonious preaching instead.

Excuse me for breathing. Nobody has done anything except give you the advice you asked for.

No, the entire department shouldn't be chit chatting about this. But you don't know people very well if you don't realise that they will. Your friend knows better than to phone somebody who is suspended and ask what is going on, but that didn't stop her doing it anyway.

So you can drop your friend in it by reporting this call, but it will provide no evidence that your manager has said anything at all that she shouldn't have said.

I don't see any high horses around here except yours. You asked a question and you got your answers.

getmore4less

momo1979 wrote: »

I have been suspended from work pending an investigation. I have been advised that I am not allowed to contact any of my colleagues regarding the matter.

However, I have reason to believe that my line manager has not kept the matter confidential. I would like to raise this with my employer, but I am not sure how to approach it without causing issues for myself or others.

momo1979 wrote: »

I haven't discussed the matter with anyone, as per the terms and. Indigirka of my suspension.

However, my friend called me, asking what was going on and saying that people in the office were discussing the matter.

exactly what did she say before you said

I advised her I could not discuss it with her but it's totally inappropriate that people are aware of my suspension and the reasons for it.

My letter states it is a disciplinary matter to discuss it. That should work both ways, but I do not want my friend to get in to trouble for notifying me of the situation.

So far from what you have said the only person to have mentioned suspension is you.

if you believe that the person that called new about the suspension then if you want to get serious about it you MUST tell the people that sent the letter that you have found out that poeple know and what are they going to do about it. request a full blown investigation/disiplinary for the those involved, most won't be covered by confidentiality so are safe.

momo1979

My friend (who is actually a close friend, I've known her for over 20 years, we go on holiday together, she wasn't calling to get gossip). Said something along the lines of: "hi x it's y. What the frick is going on. People in the dept are talking about you. They're saying they've been told by z that you have been suspended for 1234. Are you ok?"

To which I said something along the lines of: "yes I'm fine. I can't talk about it with you or anyone else from work but I'm ok, thanks for calling".

I didn't mention suspension, she did.

I do not want her to get in to any trouble but my line manager needs to be made aware that her actions are not only inappropriate but cod be subject to disciplinary as stated in the terms and conditions of my suspension.

I will pick this up with my union rep tomorrow.

themull1

But you will get her into trouble if you ring work and tell your manager that she rang you.

antrobus

momo1979 wrote: »

... I asked how to deal with the rules applying to me and not my manager...

You have apparently "been advised" that you are "not allowed to contact" any of your "colleagues regarding the matter". That seems self-explanatory to me.

momo1979 wrote: »

...I do not want her to get in to any trouble but my line manager needs to be made aware that her actions are not only inappropriate but could be subject to disciplinary as stated in the terms and conditions of my suspension. ...

The terms and conditions of your suspension apply to you, and only you.

The same HR that has told you to keep your trap shut has likely told the line manager that, in response to queries, they may state that 'momo1979 has been suspended because of x'.

Discuss with your union rep by all means, but this is not going to get you anywhere you want to be.

ktothema

Under the terms of my move I wasn't meant to contact anyone which, as I pointed out, is all well and good but if I can't contact them I can't prevent them contacting me. Ok, so I wasn't suspended but it was a highly sensitive matter. There was an official line which was that I was sick (which I was) and when I returned I was returning to a different role which wasn't to be revealed until my return. I ignored most texts and emails as responding as op did only confirms matters and felt that by being sick I could get away with not responding. Not so easy when you recieve a call from a withheld number, which you have to answer in case it's the person you're dealing with over these matters, and it's a good friend who proceeds to tell you details that even you don't know yet or details outside the agreed line (in my case which role I was going into before I knew and precise details of a couple of meetings that only two other people could possibly have known about).

My mate didn't worry that her backside may get hauled in, she was just phoning a friend to make sure they're ok. The lack of privacy was their problem. Hopefully OPs friend may feel similar.

momo1979

The situation has been clarified and I have been advised by my union rep to raise a grievance.

The confidentiality agreement applies to ALL parties "legitimately involved" in the investigation. Not just me.

My union rep has spoken to my friend and she has agreed to step up as a witness and has confirmation from someone else who has been told that they'll do the same.

Suspension is not a disciplinary sanction, it's to allow a full investigation to take place but it does make returning to work difficult especially when the confidentiality surrounding the matter has not been correctly maintained.