Confidentiality or Company Guy/Gal?

scottorr · July 2003

I always find it a struggle when an employee comes to you with confidential information about themselves or about a co-worker. On one hand you have the company's best interest at stake and on the other you want to maintain the image that ees can trust you and come to you. Recently one of my coworkers was told a piece of information about a supervisor. My co-worked shared the info with the VP of HR. She took action. The ee that shared the info felt betrayed that the info was suppose to confidential. The ee says she will never share info again with this co-worker of mine. How do you guys deal with this? The ee name was not revealed but it was figured out by the situation in which the situation was discovered.

ritaanz · July 2003

Tough question. It really depends on the situation. I take these on a case by case basis. There is a fine line we walk. We also work hard at convincing employees that we can be trusted. Take the time to ponder the information, look at it from all angles, determine the harm, to whom, and why. Weigh the potential outcome if you should pass on this information. At the end it all comes down to your gut instinct. If your motives are sincere, you should be able to make a determination.

cthr · July 2003

I always tell the ee up front when they come to me that I can not guarantee that I will keep the info confidential. If it is something that is illegal, against co policy or otherwise endangers the company or employees I will have to share it with my boss. That way if they don't feel comfortable with that, they don't share.

ray a · July 2003

I agree with both Ritaanz and Cthr, we walk a very fine line. When I took over HR at this facility, we had had an AA doing the HR stuff and she didn't have much credibility. I had two primary goals, to establish personal credibility in that this was my first experience in an HR leadership role and to establish credibility for the HR function as a whole. In some ways it was difficult because coming out of manufacturing management, I had ties with certain people and knew where some of the bodies were buried. All of a sudden I had to interact with people on a different level than what I was used to. It has been a journey, and I have not arrived yet, but am much further down the road than I was 6 years ago.

The biggest problem is deciding when to protect the individual through confidentiality and when to protect the company through disclosure or action. I too have learned the hard way, only pass on information when I don't care if my superiors will take action or not. If no action is necessary, keep it to myself. We must decide to whom do we owe ultimate accountibility? The individual or the company? Remember, the company signs the paycheck. Ethics 101. Not always a clearcut answer.

Whatever · July 2003

First of all, I work for a family owned corporation and I am part of the family. Having said that, we advise every ee who comes to see us that if the information received affects the company, it may be revealed to some one else. However, before the information is revealed, we always tell the ee who will get it and why and ask for their cooperation. My assistants have learned over the years that by being honest and upfront with the ee, they usually have no problem being able to go to management. Sometimes,even, the ee just wants someone to hold their hand when they go to management.

hrbanker · July 2003

When EE's come to me with a problem and ask that I keep it confidential, I tell them I can't help solve the problem unless they allow me to talk to the CEO, manager or person who needs to know. I will suggest ways that I might broach the subject without making it look like the employee was complaining. Most EE's agree.

In instances where there could be a liablity if the problem isn't dealt with, such as harassment, threat of violence, or theft, I tell the employee I can't ignore the situation and thank them for coming to me. I never promise total
confidentiality, but let employees know that HR is there to help.

Dutch2 · July 2003

I agree with HRbanker, plus you can often take care of the matter without having to reveal your source/EE that gave you the information. This can save them from having other EEs "get back at them" for being a snitch. I have informed the president on many occasions that I have learned of a matter through a confidential source and I promiced them I would not tell anyone who they were. I have never been pressed to reveal who my sourse was. As has been said already, you must carefully look at each situation and determine if action must be taken.
Good luck,
Dutch2

ray a · July 2003

Dutch2, you are fortunate to have a president willing to allow you to keep names confidential. My boss will not even listen to me if I do not reveal my sources. He believes if he does not know all the details, then he cannot help resolve the issue. So, I have become much more careful what I say.

scottorr · July 2003

Thanks everyone. My situation is like Ray's, if there is no name attached my boss doesn't want to address it! Its good to know that I am not alone on this issue. I think trust is a huge part of our job. We are here to serve our ees and at the same time protect the company from liability.

Whatever · July 2003

HR is based upon trust. As a boss, if I cannot trust my assistants, I am deep trouble. Feel for you guys.

lynn2008 · July 2003

Our owners, supervisors and managers understand our need for confidentiality from everything stated on employee surveys to one-on-one meetings.

The one exception, and this is stated in our harassment policies, is that if we have a situation serious enough we believe we must act for legal or protective reasons, or if we see a pattern developed by a supervisor, for example, of sexual harassment, the company will take action, and make every effort to maintain confidentiality, but it can not be guaranteed.

Our employees respect our approach.

HRQ · July 2003

As soon as I hear "please don't tell anybody" I interrupt and make it clear I can't promise anything except to only share the information with those I feel "need to know". Then I explain it's up to them whether or not they want to proceed with whatever it was they wanted to say.

The folks in my office (not just HR) often say "cover your ears, Lori!" when they are talking about something that they KNOW will raise my HR hackles. (What is a hackle, anyway?) I just refuse, and tell them that if they KNOW I don't approve of it, then don't say it. It shouldn't matter whether I'm in the room or not!

In addition to being labelled a "Pollyanna", I am also (playfully) referred to as a spoilsport and a party pooper. But hey, as I mentioned in another post, my favorite label for an HR department from my previous company is the "Conscience of the Company".

psrcello · July 2003

In the context used, "hackles" are erectile hairs on the neck and back, particularly on dogs. When you see an angry dog, very often the hairs on the back of his neck will stick up while he is growling and baring his teeth - something has "raised his hackles".

(Sorry, my mother was an English teacher - both a curse and a blessing!)

TALLEY · July 2003

I'm always amazed when I've been told something confidentially only to find that by the time I go to the breakroom for lunch, several people are already "in the know" and it's being discussed openly around the tables. Then I have to sit there like I don't have a clue what they're talking about. Sometimes, I pick up extra info, other times it's as if they've played that old game of "telephone".

Don't you sometimes wish you weren't considered the conscience of the company?To always have to be on the "proper, correct or right" side of everything; find someway to be upbeat, always encouraging and coaching. We always seem to be the playground monitor. We get beat down sometimes too and it's hard to find someplace to replenish. Guess I'm just having a bad week.

ray a · July 2003

I can relate to your experience. We have periodic breakfast meetings - essentially round table discussions with breakfast served - that includes ee's from all departments and levels. They meet with the VP and myself to talk about anything they feel is important. I always warn them to not run out and tell everyone else what was discussed or who said what. But, they do anyway. We had a Mfg. Director who would get nervous about what was being said and would bribe, coerce or whatever people to tell him who said what. Then he would get even. But, he would blame me for blabbing. Sometimes, news would travel to the floor or his office before I reached my office and even had a chance to talk to anyone. Well, he is gone and I'm not.

HRQ · July 2003

So... you live in Omaha, your mom was an english teacher.

I just posted elsewhere that I grew up in Omaha. My mom was a teacher too. She now owns a tutoring business. Had I asked her the "hackles" question, she would have said "here's the dictionary - look it up!"

HRQ · July 2003

I'm talking to prscello in Omaha, by the way.

psrcello · July 2003

HRQ -

Saw your response on the other thread about growing up in Omaha and living in Phoenix now. I keep getting farther south as the years go by - spent most of my childhood in Minnesota. I find the winters in Omaha positively mild compared to what I grew up with!

I also get quite a kick out of how little snow it takes to get school called off here - I don't remember a "snow day" in Minneapolis until I was a junior in high school and we had a full-blown blizzard!

psrcello

HRQ · July 2003

I've heard about "heat days" (as opposed to snow days) in Phoenix. Don't know if that's true or not, as my kids aren't school age yet.

If we miss the snow, Flagstaff is less than 2 hours away. All the snow we want and we don't have to shovel! x:-)

Confidentiality or Company Guy/Gal?

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