Is it Illegal for Unauthorised Staff to Open Job Candidates Applications?

MJRWORKS

Is it Illegal for Unauthorised Staff to Open Job Candidates Applications?

The vacancy asked to hand in a CV to this store where the vacancy is. I print out my CV etc and on the envelop it says the companies name and “store manager”. I hand the envelope to the only member of staff visable (on her name tag it says ‘Assistant’, and I say, “this is my CV for the current vacancy advised, can it be passed to the manager please”, all nice and everything, then right in front of me as I go to leave, I notice this assistant starts opening it. I carried on walking out but this made me really frustrated because it’s not addressed to her and who knows where my CV will physically end up. Ugh! It’s demoralising and disrespectful, this assistant has no authority OR NEED to view my CV.

In hindsight I could have not mentioned it was a CV; tried to find out the managers exact name, but that in itself would be a challenge and would that stop this assistant from opening my envelope? Probably not. Or ask for them to call the manager to the shop floor so I could hand it directly to them, but I don’t want to appear awkward.

ohreally

Unless you marked the envelope "private", there was a possibility of this happening.

Robin9

The "assistant" might have been asked by the manager to handle the job applications.

Diamandis

Why would it be illegal? Who has decided she is unauthorised? Maybe it needs scanned and uploaded, hardly anywhere works with paper cvs these days.

TELLIT01

Irrespective of the reason for opening the envelope, it seems very unprofessional to do so on the shop floor. This person had already been told what the contents were so I would have expected it to, minimally, be taken into an office.

glentoran99

I know when I worked in a shop we had to open the applications and file them in a folder,

w00519772

Perhaps the Store Manager has delegated responsibility to open all mail or job applications to this Assistant? Perhaps this assistant will be assessing candidates in the first round?

Perhaps you could write to the Store Manager in a few weeks (if you have heard nothing) asking for feedback? I would post the letter instead of personally delivering it.

TyreLever

Personally I'd never ask for feedback. Its always down to "someone more experienced in this role". It always experience. I find such stuff fairly patronising TBH. I prefer no reply which is still bad, but its better than the thought of an employer actually taking the effort to tell me I am basically inferior. If someone is better than me then fair enough, I dont feel the need to be told it.

MJRWORKS

I should have said “sales assistant” (she wasn’t management), and the vacancy I applied for is above hers, so there’s no need for her to open it. When I have been a sales assistant in the past, when a person hands me an envelope for the manager, it means it’s for THE MANAGER! If you’re an assistant to a manager and have been given responsibility for dealing with CVs etc, then okay, but it was very unlikely that this sales assistant was.

Katapolt

having worked as a "sales assistant" they often have to do a lot more than you think.
i was a lowly sales assistant for 2 years whilst being paid as such, but working a management role in order to prove myself good enough for a promotion.

a name badge and your opinion means very little in circumstances like this.

MJRWORKS

“Why would it be illegal? Who has decided she is unauthorised?” Are you serious? So it’s okay for my CV with a lot of my personal information on (enough to use in a criminal manner and cause a threat to me), to someone who isn’t contracted to do so AND in an open public retail environment? Have you heard of confidentiality?

“...hardly anywhere works with paper cvs these days.”, apart from the ones who do, which is still a lot.