Privacy and HR

Fireflyaway

I'm sorry for your loss. I agree you should be afforded some privacy but it's natural that news gets around. Could have been something as simple as the person you spoke to coming off the phone and saying ' oh that's sad, x won't be in because they lost their mum'. Maybe 4 people nearby heard it and told someone else who told someone else. It could have even been in an attempt to protect you so nobody went rushing in asking how your ' holiday' was or making a joke because they were unaware of what happened. It will be tough but now everyone knows it can't be undone. One of two people might mention it but I'm sure a lot wont. People often avoid speaking of bereavement so as not to upset. Hope things turn out better than you think.

Undervalued

peachyprice wrote: »

So an employee phones to say they won't be in because their mother has died, you ask how, they say they're too upset to go in to details, you fire them. Good luck at a tribunal with that.

I didn't say that at all!

If you read the context I was referring to HR or a manager telling the MD s/he had no right to information they were privy to!

The whole point of this thread was the OP complaining that HR had told her colleagues something which she felt should have been kept private.

She has (in my opinion) some justification for being concerned but my point was that they (HR) cannot refuse to give information to the MD if asked as s/he is ultimately responsible for everything that happens in the company.

Lioness_Twinkletoes

Comms69 wrote: »

Its very generous.

No, it is not.

Undervalued

Lioness_Twinkletoes wrote: »

No, it is not.

Whether you, I, Comms69 or the Pope think it is generous or not is completely irrelevant.

It is two days more than they were legally obliged to give (so arguably generous).

On the other hand it is less than some / many "good" employers would give (so arguably not generous).

Where has that got us? Nowhere really!

74jax

OP you have my sympathy.

My dad died and only my manager and HR knew. 1st day back I had to walk into a room of 35 people, I walked in sat at the front and tears rolled down my face. Just having to be normal and carry out daily tasks hit me. I don't care what people thought, if they saw or not - I was at the front so not sure many would have seen.

A month later someone I was talking to at work mentioned their dad had just died and I said mine too about a month ago and they said the usual sorry I didn't know.

And no I don't believe they should have known. It's my choice who to tell. You are allowed to be angry at what had happened. Why should people be talking about it, asking you. It's very very personal.

I do think it may not have been told in malice. However I also appreciate that doesn't help you.

Talk to HR. Express your thoughts. Get it off your chest. You will have months of anger, sadness, grief to deal with. Speak to HR and cross this off your list.

Good luck.

Red-Squirrel_2

Undervalued wrote: »

If I was the MD and an employee said to me "you are not allowed that information" their feet wouldn't touch the ground on their way out of the door!

If you were the MD and you were told an employee's parent had died suddenly so they were going on bereavement leave, would you really ask for the exact circumstances of the death?

lincroft1710

Although a bereaved person may not want the circumstances of the death disclosed to co-workers, the local press often report the verdicts of coroners' courts, albeit some weeks/months after the actual death.

Undervalued

Red-Squirrel wrote: »

If you were the MD and you were told an employee's parent had died suddenly so they were going on bereavement leave, would you really ask for the exact circumstances of the death?

Probably not, but that is not the point.

If, as MD of a company, someone in the HR department refused me information I asked for I would be furious. Ultimately, as MD, I have responsibility for everything that happens in the company and am fully entitled to any information the company holds if I decide I want to see it.

Savvy_Sue

Undervalued wrote: »

Probably not, but that is not the point.

If, as MD of a company, someone in the HR department refused me information I asked for I would be furious. Ultimately, as MD, I have responsibility for everything that happens in the company and am fully entitled to any information the company holds if I decide I want to see it.

Does 'the company' hold the information if it's not been written down?

For example, if I have a conversation with someone in HR, they may not record everything. In the example given, they may record that the OP has been given compassionate leave because a parent has died, but not how they died. And the HR view may be that while you are entitled to know that the OP has been given compassionate leave, and why, you may not be entitled to have the full details of any conversation which may have taken place.

Takeaway_Addict

jonnygee2 wrote: »

Firstly, that's not what the post actually says, it says "After being told bereavement pay was only 2 days I had no choice but to go into work yesterday.". No mention of unpaid leave and there is no obligation for employers to offer this, nor to accept a holiday request at such late notice.

Secondly, I still don't believe that's a choice employees in these circumstances should have to make.

They don't, the OP could easily have signed themself of sick for a week and then got doctors notes.


Thats why there is currently no such thing as bereavement pay.