Employer breached privacy?

[Donatello]

Hi all,

I am hoping somebody can give me some advice. My OH found out she was pregnant in January and we told work pretty quickly to make sure they were kept in the loop.

We told our main director and a female senior member of staff (financial controller) as she is a mother and could possibly offer us advice if we needed it. We asked that this remained confidential.

We had our 12 week scan 8 days ago and found out my OH had a missed miscarriage. As you can understand, we are devastated. Work allowed myself a few days off to look after my OH and she has been signed off for 2 weeks. Still we assumed this would all be confidential.

I handed the main director my OH's sicknote on my return and again stated it was between the people that we told originally (i.e. him and the financial controller) and nobody else. Anyone who asked could be told 'it is private' or 'none of your business' as far as we were concerned. He assured me off this.

I then had a seperate company director talk to me and be very sympathetic and I quickly realised he knew. I asked how he knew and he said all directors (family members of this family run business) had been told. NONE of these 'directors' could keep a secret if their lives depended on it and my OH is upset enough as it is.

She is now concerned that due to this privacy breach, she will be reminded of it by nosey employees constantly and is extremely upset.

Is there anything we can do? I'm not really sure what I am asking you to tell me but is there any action that can be taken against the director/s for this breach?

Sorry for the long story, it is a difficult time and this is just another thing we don't really need.

Tom

[Soovy]

Donatello said:

Hi all,

I am hoping somebody can give me some advice. My OH found out she was pregnant in January and we told work pretty quickly to make sure they were kept in the loop.

We told our main director and a female senior member of staff (financial controller) as she is a mother and could possibly offer us advice if we needed it. We asked that this remained confidential.

We had our 12 week scan 8 days ago and found out my OH had a missed miscarriage. As you can understand, we are devastated. Work allowed myself a few days off to look after my OH and she has been signed off for 2 weeks. Still we assumed this would all be confidential.

I handed the main director my OH's sicknote on my return and again stated it was between the people that we told originally (i.e. him and the financial controller) and nobody else. Anyone who asked could be told 'it is private' or 'none of your business' as far as we were concerned. He assured me off this.

I then had a seperate company director talk to me and be very sympathetic and I quickly realised he knew. I asked how he knew and he said all directors (family members of this family run business) had been told. NONE of these 'directors' could keep a secret if their lives depended on it and my OH is upset enough as it is.

She is now concerned that due to this privacy breach, she will be reminded of it by nosey employees constantly and is extremely upset.

Is there anything we can do? I'm not really sure what I am asking you to tell me but is there any action that can be taken against the director/s for this breach?

Sorry for the long story, it is a difficult time and this is just another thing we don't really need.

Tom

Tom

I am truly sorry to hear this - must be simply awful.

But in relation to the issue about people knowing I think what's done is done. Where is the real harm? If anything they will cut you some decent slack, so it's a positive in some ways.

I think in a few days you won't care one way or another to be honest. Try to move on, and take care of your wife.

[Davel]

Very much this and very sorry for your loss.

It must be an awful time for you but it will get easier.

Nothing clever to add really - just be there for each other.

[Donatello]

Thank you for the replies. I understand the views I suppose I'm just frustrated.

We would both like new jobs as the company hasn't been particularly wonderful to us for some time now. We both just feel very let down once again.

I'm not so bothered that directors know, but they will tell anyone who asks and there are some rather nasty/nosey people here and we would just rather they didn't know anything about our lives outside this place.

Thanks anyway guys.

[Soovy]

Donatello said:

Thank you for the replies. I understand the views I suppose I'm just frustrated.

We would both like new jobs as the company hasn't been particularly wonderful to us for some time now. We both just feel very let down once again.

I'm not so bothered that directors know, but they will tell anyone who asks and there are some rather nasty/nosey people here and we would just rather they didn't know anything about our lives outside this place.

Thanks anyway guys.

If there are people like that there then they might learn their lesson after this and STFU.

[crofty1984]

Soovy said:

If there are people like that there then they might learn their lesson after this and STFU.

Could be. "We're leaving, x incident was the last straw" might make them pay attention in future. Not that it helps you of course.
My sympathies to you both.