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MEG04

Junior Member
New Mexico

Yesterday, a co-worker was looking for information on a shared drive at work, where we keep information that everyone needs. She stumbled onto a folder with our bosses name. She opened the folder (there was no security -- passwords were not needed, etc) and found very personal information about me (performance improvement plans and a letter to my psychiatrist) as well as our co-workers. She told me what she had found and I confronted my boss with this information. My boss turned it around on me and said that I (I did not tell her it was actually a co-worker) looked in a folder that was none of my business, and that she did not know that the folder could be opened by anyone in our department besides her (although her boss said she did know for at least a month and they were "working" on fixing it). My boss and her boss also threatened repercussions to me and for anyone that saw the information. According to her, the security was "breeched" because a folder was opened that had someone else's name on it. Do I have the right to sue because my private information was not in a secure place, and could have been looked at by anyone in the department without anyone knowing?
 


Beth3

Senior Member
Do I have the right to sue because my private information was not in a secure place, and could have been looked at by anyone in the department without anyone knowing? No. The only information your employer is obligated to keep confidential is any medical related information they might have that was obtained through their group health plan.
 

MEG04

Junior Member
my worry

New Mexico

The worry I have now is that I am going back to work and it will be a hostile work environment due to some of the comments made to me during the meeting where I was suspended. 1 example being that my supervisor had previously apologized for unknowingly putting my private information on an unsecure site, but "took back" the apology at the meeting in front of the CEO and Human Resource Specialist. What has to happen to qualify it as a hostile work environment?
 
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cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
To qualify as a hostile work environment, you have to show that you were subjected to either sexual harassment or illegal discrimination under Title VII (race, religion, national origin etc.). A manager, supervisor, or other co-workers behaving unpleasantly is not going to qualify.
 

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