personal email

[ladclwd]

i work for the nhs, and my boss wrote an email to personell a very pesonal email about me it was 4 pages long, but as well as emailing her , he printed out copies and gave it to 1 of my colleagues to pass on, i was on a/l but found a copy on my return to work, is this legal ?

[another-view]

I don't see any problem uness it was libellous. What law do you believe he has broken?

[ladclwd]

data protection , it was a personal email about me some of which were lies and it was distributed

[another-view]

I don't see how this has broken any data protection laws. You need to tell us more.

[saxy_jag]

It's quite usual for paper copies of personnel type emails to be kept on file. They are confidential, of course, but then someone has to handle them and those who do are expected to keep them confidential - it's part of the job.

My boss regularly asks me to file my colleagues' time sheets and sickness forms, and this potentially gives me access to a lot of personal information about them. I'm also the one who gets to update stuff like changes of address and phone number. It's just accepted that such information is confidential and it's the duty of all of us to uphold that confidentiality.

Basically, it's a case of us trusting each other. If you feel that the colleague has abused (or will abuse) that trust then by all means speak to your manager about it. Otherwise I wouldn't worry about it.

[terambulan]

Confront him - it's not 'professional' behaviour from him. Keep the copy & report to his higher authorities. Hopefully the threat will make him apologise or you seek legal advice on the contents of the email.

[another-view]

What's unprofessional about emailing someone then ensuring they had a paper copy as well?

[ChuckFickens]

i was on a/l but found a copy on my return to work, is this legal ?

depends where you were looking when you found this copy? is it was in somebodies desk then you could be guilty of theft. (though I guess it wasn't the legality of you "finding" a copy your were asking about!)

[saxy_jag]

You say distributed? To whom? Why? The recipients may have had good reason to have a copy. If you think not, then take it further under data protection.

The libellous nature of the document would be a separate matter - again, go further.

HR would be your first point of call, but I seem to remember that the NHS have other avenues for complaint and whistle-blowing if HR can't/won't help.

[ladclwd]

it was an email about me to his manager , he then printed some copies and asked 1 of my colleagues to distribute to my other colleagues to read, it had past employement / sickness/a/l and things like what he thought of me and my performance , my colleagues had no reason to see it surely

[andy-hughes]

If you are a member of your Union - approach your Rep for advice.

If you are not a member - you should be!

Join today and follow the advice in the first line.

[ladclwd]

on my return from a/l i found the copy at the main hospital reception at the main front desk and know one should have seen it only the person who sent it and the reciever

[saxy_jag]

Sounds like it should have been strictly between you, your manager and his manager, and possibly HR. The truth of it or otherwise, as I said, is a separate matter.

I would definitely take this higher. As Andy says, your union will be a good source of advice and will help you to put in a formal grievance.

[ladclwd]

ive done the grievence and it always gets swept under the carpet , ive now taken it to the next level, but so far its taken me 8 months and they havent even spoke to my witness who they have had a statent off last october,