Am I being set up?

Rochdale_Guy

I have just been verbally given the date I am being made redundant by my boss, who was told yesterday by our big boss at a meeting.

Discussions are ongoing about an exit strategy and how to wind down the service I am in.

We have over 4,000 clients on the database I manage.

The big boss has asked my boss for me to email this information on to her, in a spreadsheet containing the clients names, address, postcode, telephone number and date of birth.
(She works in a separate building, over 12 miles away)

This information has also to be split into four townships.

I have done this, but now think I am setting myself for a big fall as surely it’s private and confidential information and emailing her this is in breach of the Data Protection Act?

So, do I send her four separate emails (as requested) with this information in, or hold fire?

Well I am doing as I’m posting on here.

Advice please ASAP.

Rochdale_Guy

Dark_Star

Could you ask for the request to be confirmed via email from her/who ever in authority for AUDIT purposes that should help...

Print out several copies of email for posterity of course

sweetme

I can see where you are coming from with the redundancy looming, any mistakes would make it easier for the company but I'd doubt they are setting you up. Email her your concerns about data protection, it covers your back if you raise your issue with her.

System

It is business information and providing the other person has a requirement to see it (being a boss above you would appear to give a good reason) then there is no breach as it is business information staying within the business,

Rochdale_Guy

Thank you, as with everything to do with me, it's slightly more complicated...

I work for the xxxxx not in a xxxxx owned building.
Our team (that's being decommisioned) was lucky to be put in this building we work in and away from the rest of the xxxxx workers.

So, we don't have xxxxx email addresses, well I don't, but my boss does as she accesses the intranet. She has an xxxxx one plus also one for this company who we "rent" a room from.


So, anything I email to the big boss isn't from an @xxxxx email address

Confusing eh?

AppleMatt

If both you and the recipient work for the same organisation, it's fine under the DPA, provided that the information is sent protected enough in relation to the value of the information.

From what you've told us, I would personally ensure the information is encrypted. Large organisations usually have a secure file transmission service, does yours?

Normal email is unencrypted and insecure.

deedee71

I haven't anything to add about your situation OP, but you are making yourself extremely identifiable in your posts!

Rochdale_Guy

deedee71 wrote: »

I haven't anything to add about your situation OP, but you are making yourself extremely identifiable in your posts!

Fair point, I think it's too late to change that now, even though I have edited my post

Rochdale_Guy

AppleMatt wrote: »

If both you and the recipient work for the same organisation, it's fine under the DPA, provided that the information is sent protected enough in relation to the value of the information.

From what you've told us, I would personally ensure the information is encrypted. Councils usually have a secure file transmission service, does yours?

Normal email is unencrypted and insecure.

Unsecured email, see my post #5 above.

ktothema

Please don't send this info over in that format, it needs some form of encryption at the very least. You need to go back to the big boss and explain that you have massive data protection concerns with just emailing this over on an open network.

Client data was very rarely emailed between our database hosting company and my old company, but at times it needed to be done. We used at least 16 bit encryption from winzip, passwords were randomly generated and communicable only via phone call to the person direct. Took little more than an extra 5 minutes out of everyone's time.

paddyrg

put it into a password protected zip file - that will be strong enough to stop all but the most serious attack on the data. Pick a long/strong password and it won't be broken in a hurry - zip encryption is actually rather tough, especially if there are under 3 documents in the zip file.