Dont get me wrong, she shouldnt have ever told the friend and Id understand if they were worried if she told more people, but its concerning how they immediately jumped to an even worse conclusion based on nothing but their own assumptions. Regardless of what the coworker did, ideally we want to nudge OP toward exercising greater impulse control and discretion if OP wants to have a successful career in the same sector/field. But I had a boss who always used to try to cover his ass 110%. I guarantee you that somewhere in the company handbook for the Government Agency where you worked there is a paragraph about the obligations of an employee who learns of a data breach. You were wrapped up in a project and yes you messed up but no you didn't mean to. Some certainly will, especially those who are more security-conscious. Best of luck, and believe us all when we tell you that if you sound at all dismissive of the seriousness of this, prospective employers will (rightfully) worry that you may have a similar lapse in judgement again. I doubt it was the plan to storm Area 51. Yeah just assume that for the next few years youre out of the running for jobs that require a confidentiality. Perhaps something like the announcement of the new Amazon HQ? Heck, at my agency were cautioned to not use work email on our personal devices (unless were management or its an emergency) because records requests could potentially get our personal devices as well. can you get fired for accidentally sending confidential information ninkondi prime stance 3d parallax background mod apk latest version take me to st ives cambridgeshire can you get fired for accidentally sending confidential information. As a government employee they are obligated to report a breach of information regardless of whether they like the employee they are reporting or hate their guts. That oh honey is so unnecessary, and questioning LWs age is just rude. And, of course, some agencies dont have a policy and, when contacted can provided whatever info they feel is relevant. OP is in a pickle for sure. The Workplace Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for members of the workforce navigating the professional setting. LW, first, I want to offer sympathy. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship. (Presumably easier to get caught via company comms but doesnt make the leak any different imo). The point of the story is the funny way people behave. This is not about a public records requestits about how information is released to the public before that information becomes public. You asked how to handle this in future interviews and one key is owning the mistake, taking responsibility for it. No 2nd chance especially because you knew it was a no-no before you shared. I replaced someone who had embezzled from the (small) company. Confidentiality is not just an issue in communications. Concepts like snitching, tattling, and ratting out dont apply in the workplace. Acidity of alcohols and basicity of amines, Using indicator constraint with two variables. So, either way my point remains. One of my coworkers saw another coworker sexually harassing a woman. Sharing HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL info. If it was the 2nd option then, yeah, they were going to let you go. Having a mentor at a different organization in a similar role might be a good idea for the future. Don't worry, you're still qualified to be Secretary of State. I work for a public universitys PR office and I 100% know Id be fired if I shared info with anyone before pub date. In my experience, a FOIA request can come from anywhere. OP, if everything that was predictably risky, harmful, dangerous, bad, illegal or wrong really felt bad on some core level, we would almost never need to make rules. ), This didnt involve a records request. Accidents do happen, we are all human but what rights you have if you share private company information by mistake really depends on a few things: the type of information that was accidentally distributed, how this impacted your company, and what the consequences were for you. In that case its not so relevant that there was a misunderstanding. A person who is aware of a breach is required to report it. No one ever called for a reference. Much safer. I resent our new hires for setting better work-life boundaries than our company normally has, hairy legs at work, my office sent me a random TV, and more, heres an example of a great cover letter with before and after versions, my employee cant handle even mildly negative feedback, my new coworker is putting fake mistakes in my work so she can tell our boss Im bad at my job, insensitive Diversity Day, how to fire someone who refuses to talk to us, and more, weekend open thread February 25-26, 2023, assistant became abusive when she wasnt invited to a meeting, my coworkers dont check on people who are out sick, and more. Nothing I said contradicts this. You said it yourself that you were working on client confidential information, and sent it to your personal mailbox. I think she was trying to lessen some of the guilt she felt, but really she should have just sat with that feeling and let it fuel her resolve to never share confidential info with an outside party again. Its not a victimless crime and you have to understand the seriousness of what you did, even unintentionally. Dont fall for it. the coworker probably was obligated to report it With regards to getting a new job within the software engineering/analytics/data science field, I wouldn't lie on application form and in interviews if asked why I left my old job. The part I think is dangerous is calling the coworker a rat and saying that disclosing to friend was not a mistake. As someone who works in PR/comms, my recommendation is to tell future employers the truth and emphasize what youve learned: You cant let yourself act out of emotion. 1) Slack vs text: doesnt matter. They might try to use silence to get you to say more. Or if the coworker only decided afterwards this couldnt be kept in the dark, call her and tell her this. Not generational, just a young person thing. And even now you sound defensive. and sent to multiple people (!!)? Your coworker then followed proper procedure when learning of this data breach- their actions were not ratting you out, their actions were following proper protocol for what an employee who is working at a company that frequently deals with sensitive data is tasked with doing once they learn of a data breach. Back in the dinosaur era (early 80s) the directors secretary was the only one tasked with typing up yearly evaluations on high-level staff. In jobs that require non-disclosure, active disclosure is a very big deal. I want to push back hard on this, the coworker is not a rat. There are many ways to say thing like this without lying. Im also a public affairs officer for a government agency- one that almost exclusively deals with highly classified information. Oh, so LW cant keep a secret from her reporter friend or her coworker, but were ragging on the coworker for not keeping LWs secret? Fired. Going forward definitely own this mistake and explain that you are freaking Fort Knox going now to new employers, knowing now the seriousness of such a transgression. But what you do when youre on the other side of the inbox? Basically, one of the key ways that spies get information is by social engineering picking up seemingly minor information through friendly chat that they can then combine together to make more. I fully expect that whenever they find the source of the leak the people involved will face some pretty serious consequences up to and including dismissal and possible criminal proceedings. Yeah, if the LW is in the US or things operate the same way in their country, theres no point in trying to lie or even waffle about what happened. I will be in so much trouble if anyone finds out! your blindsided coworker is not required to enter into a cover-up conspiracy with you. Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. She shared *exciting* embargoed information. Even if this person had not turned her in, there was this bomb just sitting there waiting to go off. Its not great, but some breaches really are that serious, and employers cant always be like the library giving amnesty for late fees if people bring the books back. Whose to say OP isnt right that the coworker had it out for her? Government tends to operate differently. The problem here is that the OP misjudged the level of confidentially expected in the situation, and maybe by their office/profession in general. Yep, we regularly are reminded about FERPA requirements (academia) and staff members have gotten in hot water for not promptly picking up student transcripts from the printer (for instance). Its a risk when you ignore these compliance issues especially willfully. Agreed. If you need to share with the boss do so. Screw-ups happen. Noooooo. Yes, the ratted me out thing is probably not a fair assessment of what actually happened here. According to Tessian research, over half (58%) of employees say they've sent an email to the wrong person. The LW blabbed, why would her friend have more self-control? This is a great point LW. Re-evaluating my original comment, Id still consider lying if attempts to explain the firing in interviews end up in disaster. Unfortunately, there are instances where employees have accidentally leaked confidential information. "Yes, humor in the workplace is a fabulously invaluable thing that any workplace can benefit greatly from, but when your colleagues already feel buried under a pile of never-ending emails, adding. Pay secrecy is a workplace policy that prohibits employees from discussing how much money they make. How on earth could you know this was a misunderstanding? I doubt she had it out for you and rather was worried you confided a big breech to her which could adversely affect the company. This includes understanding what you did wrong and explaining how you might have approached this in future (hint: ask boss, transfer via encrypted USB if necessary and allowed. She knew about a leak and didnt say anything, who knows what else she is helping to hide, My boss, in a well meaning way and to correct some weird barriers previously put in place by the person before him, told me openly that if Big Boss [aka the owner] asks you anything, just answer him, its all good, you dont need to filter things through me or anything., And I just tilted my head and laughed at him saying Even if you told me differently, I would tell him whatever he wants to know. Which given our relationship he just giggled and responded with of course and thats the way it should be.. Further, the laws/regluations dont actually make allowances for how many people are told the confidential information, or how much you, the employee, trusts the person they told. I thought it was over. Because when your mentor is a coworker at the same employer, you cannot, cannot speak as freely. OP, think about your choice to share with this person. they dont owe it to you to offer that opportunity, That reminds me of the guys who say, I know I cheated on you, but I want a second chance.. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. This is a very important life lesson, both for your professional and personal life. (Obviously it would have been best not to give her journalist friend the info to begin with.) But I think in order to talk about this with future employers, youve got to take more responsibility for it. More commonly it means that you either cant share anything, or you cant share parts that someone could connect to a particular client. Wait, what the friend is a *journalist*?. One day its pre-public FOUO information; what next? I have absolutely no clue in your situation, but there are times when it really can be appropriate to let someone go without any second chances. Of course, but if you think that there arent tons of people out there whove made huge mistakes and managed to keep it from getting out, youre kidding yourself. Im still pretty upset that I had no second chance, but I suppose I just lost their trust.. But given the kind of convo LW describes.while the LW really should not have been surprised they got reported and then fired, and does seem to be downplaying the severity, I wonder if something about the convo led them to believe it was somehow less serious than the mentor clearly understood it to be, and mentor didnt seem to do anything to help the LW understand how big a deal this is, which is kind of a bummer. You can get past this, if you learn from the experience. I DEFinitely sometimes shared those tidbits with friends and family who were big tiger/hippo/etc fans. I was fired over the phone. Im thinking of the Elizabeth who went on a 20-email rage about being called Liz, or even the old 1970s memos from the Tiger Oil CEO that found new viral life in the digital age. my boss read my Skype conversations, parental involvement with employees under 18, and more, my manager and coworker are secretly dating, boss will never give exceeds expectations because he has high standards, and more, update: I supervise a manager who falsified an employee write-up but I dont think she should be fired, stolen sandwiches, disgusting fridges, dish-washing drama: lets talk about office kitchen mayhem, interviewer scolded me for my outfit, job requires an oath of allegiance, and more, update: a DNA test revealed the CEO is my half brother and hes freaking out, my entry-level employee gave me a bunch of off-base criticism. Dont blame your colleague she may have been obligated to report this. Cringe. That was the profound breach of the OPs duty. But your framing of this does sound defensive and doesnt sound like youre taking responsibility for what happened. Choose your time limit (you can only choose from between 5, 10, 20, and 30 seconds) Hit save changes at the bottom of the page. Upon further investigation, the supervisor discovers that the employee has asked other employees to also send Company documents to her personal e-mail address. You seriously violated your privileged access to confidential information. i think we often send the message (societally) that making someone feel bad is a mean thing to do; its not. Report and act quickly In addition to 100% needing to own it when asked about it, I think OP may also benefit from focusing the job search on jobs that dont involve handling sensitive or high profile information. Journalists are very charasmatic and will fish for info its their job. In my job I often get embargoed advance copies of speeches that politicians are going to give they send them out to press to help us start working on getting most of a story written and cleared so we can just drop in a few quotes and crowd reactions and publish the story within 5-10 minutes of the speech ending. OP can come up with steps to fix the real problem in their future jobs, but they cant really fix an evil coworker. You would never want someone to find out from the news media that they no longer have a job, for example. How do I explain to those potential future employers that the only reason I got fired was because I was ratted out by a coworker for a victimless mistake and was fired unfairly, without sounding defensive? In "Labs," scroll down to "Undo Send" and enable it. Take ownership and accountability of it, because for better or worse, all of us could have made OPs mistake at some point in our careers. If you told, you breached confidentiality, no matter what the other people did. journalists dont leak information, unless its something confidential about their own employers. 2007-2023. (They could be facing prison time.). A recent Harvard Business Review article indicated widespread use in the workplace, with over one third of the US . For the purposes of VIWI, a confidential client shall be able to establish a mutually authenticated TLS channel with the auth server and resource service, providing a trusted identity, usually in the form of a certificate signed by . Id instantly think that youd learned nothing, that no information we kept around you would be secure, and that anything we brought to you as far as behavior we needed you to change would suddenly be labeled as victimless and only because *truly irrelevant fact here* and unfair. We just had something similar happen at my office last week. We literally filled a room with records for them, and 99% of it was people asking what flavor of donuts to bring to a meeting or requesting copies of informational flyers. Maybe a different (and appropriately mortified) approach from the OP in those meetings would of had a different result or maybe not! but the approach in the letter definitely would have convinced me to let her go if I was on the fence. But if youre singling people out, or only using it in the context of chastising someone, then yeah, for sure condescending and rude. Of course. Draft your UI forms and pre-write your objection to his unemployment on the grounds of "good cause" firing for willful misconduct- Then after all that you can fire him. The protected classes are race, age (40+), sex, national origin, religion, or disability. Is there a single-word adjective for "having exceptionally strong moral principles"? Now were just nitpicking the OPs words here. The client can, of course, prevent such disclosure by refraining from the wrongful conduct. Letter writer, it sounds like youre new to our field and may not understand the importance of keeping confidence. Only behaviors are right or wrong. They would definitely see any mention of confidentiality breach as a huge red flag and drop OP from the hiring process at once. Not just confidential, but confidential from *journalists*!! Appropriately so, but still, wow. Something LW has not seemed to understand: the fact that you worked for a governmental agency is not the issue, the fact that you leaked info early is. But your wording indicates that you dont yet have insight into just how much you breached the trust of your company. Someone would then check into it to see if there was a valid reason for someone to be poking at it. This is so true. In fact, think of it this way: you put your journalist friend in a situation where she was potentially sitting on a scoop but she actually kept mum to protect you. But from there you can talk about what you learned from the experience and how this makes you a better employee/candidate now. because your performance / screw-up affects them, or because they feel they are being compared to you and want to put the record straight to defend themselves), or out of a sense that they have an obligation to report (whether or not they actually do). That all strikes me as stuff someone quite young and without strong professional and personal boundaries acts. If OP doesnt recognize and own up to that, thats going to be a bigger red flag for potential employers than if OP said, I made a mistake, learned from it, and it wont happen again.. Like, firing on the spot if I access my own chart. She was an employee of the agency, who shared it with the journalist. exciting! Completely unrelated to the topic at hand, love the username! I see it a lot and I wonder sometimes if its not sending the wrong message that its okay to break confidentiality because Friendship/Family Conquers All or something. You got a hard hit, and I am sorry for all the difficulty that causes. Show prospective employers that you can reflect on your actions and learn from mistakes, because thats not at all what Im seeing here. I always appreciate your combination of kindness and firm clarity. She should have told her this is serious and Im going to have to report you. Then at least OP could have avoided the slack room full of journalists escalation. If each person tells just one person it can end up being a lot of people. Perhaps the email was intended for a client in which case the clients data is at risk and the sender has inadvertently committed a data leak. When I worked for the bank in the security investigation department, we had systems in place that monitored Famous Peoples accounts and would flag them if they were opened/touched. I know this is pedantic, but as someone raised by a mother with BPD, I feel like its important to say that no ones feelings are wrong. I would have ratted you out too. After all, nobody wants to tell their manager that they might (however accidentally) be responsible for a data breach. Its ridiculous how much a speculator can get from very little information, and this is why keeping anything secret until it is announced is important. We cannot do our job with our leaders if they cannot trust us. I dont know the full text of the conversation and I dont want to, but she was probably in a position where she had to tell someone. As others mentioned, the breach is possibly a fire on first offense potential, but since they fired you after investigating slack that makes me wonder if you had too casual and friendly of chats with the journalists whose job it was for you to talk with. I have to deal with famous folks at well; I work for a company that handles federal medical insurance and every once in a while I might run across Justice X, Senator Y, etc. But I agree that reporting coworkers for actual errors that actually affect the company isnt ratting. And it doesnt sound to me as though the OPs coworker was in any way a rat. OP should be counting their blessings they only got fired and be upset with themselves for making such an obvious and preventable error, not expecting a large bureaucracy to break its own rules to accommodate them. Unless things have changed since I was in j-school (which is a possibility), off-the-record arrangements are basically the journalistic equivalent of a pinky swear. The type of violation you are talking about normally only applies to confidential (shall close) records and not non-public (may close) records. Yeah, this is a big part of it. Coworker did nothing wrong and isnt untrustworthy but OP erroneously decided to trust her which is key. Ive seen many workplaces that dont spend an amount of time discussing confidentiality that is commensurate with its importance, or that dont go into specifics about when it is and isnt ok to tell somebody something you heard at work, and a general statement tends not to hold up to the in-the-moment excitement of oooooh I know THING about CELEBRITY! or whatever. I used to work at a government agency and it was super hard to get fired so I can understand your consternation. Taking a quick peek at someones medical records just out of curiosity? But your processing of it has to be at one step removed. how else could you have met that need?) I think its also something to do with the fact that if you tell a journalist something newsworthy, youre not just talking, youre offering a thing of (potential) value, which is an entirely different action from sharing news with a friend. If its the government, theyd be defending Area 51 unless its a false flag operation, and the point is for the invasion to occur, but show nothing suspicious, because the government already relocated all the aliens! Whether nor not anyone got fired might depend on context, but somebody would at the very least get a serious talking-to. Yes of course it feels bad that you were fired. However, if the message appears urgent to somebodys life or career, its likely youll want to consider stepping in. Then the second paragraph said Do not release this information to anyone outside of the office because the press are not to know about these changes until the morning of the event. Especially since the letter seems to have been written almost immediately after the incident, before their feelings had time to settle properly. This may have been part of why the manager took the steps she did. Im literally barred by policy from opening up my own files unless theres a work related reason I could lay out to do so. (Or maybe the coworker did fabricate it, but I feel like thats a massive assumption itself. Yes, this was a fireable offence, but Im less interested in the nuances of violating confidentiality than in the bigger picture question I have done something where I really screwed up how do I move on? (Someone above mentioned someone bringing a gun to work (Dwight? Sharing HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL info with a JOURNALIST? would be frustrating if she had a good relationship with them, or if she cared a lot about the reputation of her publication as a whole. If asked specifially try to describe in detail what happened and what you learned from it, for example: ask if the new employer has clear guidelines on data handling. I arrived in 69. If that is so, there is nothing you can do to avoid the termination and you should be looking for new employment. 1. I wonder if OP ever got the chance to correct the misunderstanding. I hope there are things at your job that are exciting to you! Perhaps Archie neglected to mention it. (The fact that your friend is a journalist makes it particularly egregious.) If I ever texted a journalist about nonpublic information Id be fired. (I think, I never worked in government communications so Im not positive of this.). It's difficult to prevent a leak from happening again if you don't know how it occurred in the first place.
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