What are my rights regarding an HR confidentiality violation?
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What are my rights regarding an HR confidentiality violation?
Recently, I had an HR representative come to my worksite and ask all management about their goals within the company. One of the questions I was asked was what attracted me to the company. I said I had recently found out that my wife and I were expecting triplets and I needed to make more money. Roughly a month later, my general manager sat me down and told me that my district manager was told by the HR representative that I was only at my company for the money. Not only was my statement misconstrued, but I feel that even if it was true, it shouldn’t have been shared with my boss. Since then, I feel as though im being scutenized at my job. Am I wrong, or does this sound like I have a case?
Asked on October 10, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, California
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
There is little right to privacy in the workplace. Accordingly, unless such a disclosure as you have described violated the terms of a union agreement or employment contract, you have no claim. The fact is that most employment is "at will" which means that a company can set the condtions of the worklace much as it sees fit (absent some form of legally actionble discrimination).
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