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Fired for Breech of Confidentiality

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pwood244

Junior Member
Tennessee
I was called into the personnel office and confronted with paperwork stating
I wasn't doing my job documented by my NEW supervisor. I stated that I had
been keeping records of my own and the HR person ask to see them. Said he
would make a copy and give me back my papers. He did not make a copy and I became so upset I had to leave and get myself together. When I returned to his office he and the NEW boss were not there. I took my papers
and left, calling him later telling him I had gotten my papers off his desk.
I was fired due to breech of confidentiality because I removed MY papers from his desk.
 


pattytx

Senior Member
Once you gave "your papers" to HR, they said they would give them back to you once they made a copy. Just because they didn't make the copies immediately doesn't mean they weren't going to. You took documents from someone else's desk. There is often confidential information on the desks of HR personnel (although best practice is that there's shouldn't be when the ofice is emty. It could be called Gary, it could be called a toaster. What they called it doesn't matter.

You took documents from another person's desk.
 

Beth3

Senior Member
I stated that I had
been keeping records of my own


Did you construct those records on company time? If so, they belonged to your employer. Either way though, terminating you for removing those papers from your boss's desk was not illegal.
 

Betty

Senior Member
Based on your post, this was not a wrongful termination. You took papers off of a HR person's desk - it's not illegal to terminate you for that.
 

csi7

Senior Member
As stated, you can be terminated for removing the papers off the desk.
You were honest, and called to tell them you took your papers back.
The confidential information was not secure on the desk left unattended and open to public view.
 

pattytx

Senior Member
You were honest, and called to tell them you took your papers back.
The confidential information was not secure on the desk left unattended and open to public view.
Perhaps; that information was not provided. It sounds like it was a HR "office" however, not just a desk in the middle of a room. The action was inappropriate, period.

They can call it breach of confidentiality, they can call it Gary, they can call it a toaster, it doesn't matter. Your termination was legal.
 

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