Dear Seniors,
Please have your say in this matter:
I have reason to believe one of my employees in HR (who has access to everyone’s salary info) has been gossiping about what we pay various employees.
I gave the standard speech about confidentiality during a meeting, but it seems this talk has continued.
What’s next?
An investigation?
A stern but general talking to?
A formal reprimand?
I’m really dreading whatever it is.
Rashid
From Saudi Arabia
8Please have your say in this matter:
I have reason to believe one of my employees in HR (who has access to everyone’s salary info) has been gossiping about what we pay various employees.
I gave the standard speech about confidentiality during a meeting, but it seems this talk has continued.
What’s next?
An investigation?
A stern but general talking to?
A formal reprimand?
I’m really dreading whatever it is.
Rashid
From Saudi Arabia
Reprimands do not work, counselling might be worth trying. There are two ways of looking at it. You may just ignore it with a stern face, and pass on a message that you don't really like it. On the other hand if you are serious about killing it you need to sack one person, who is doing it, make it known to others the reason and the others get the message. This is a menace many companies face. One company that was serious about it and fired one employee and the topic closed for ever.
PS. The above has come out of lng experience and it is not a matter of "I think" or "my opinion is". Nothing else works really. Of course I am not suggesting fire everyone who does it, but make out an example. I will also add that many companies simply ignore it. So try to ignore this tendency. It does exist as a universal tendency. However, if this is critical value for your business, make out an example, and it is almost guaranteed that even the people who join later, once they know this example (and you can make sure they come to know) will not indulge into do it. Read Sun Tsu.
PS. The above has come out of lng experience and it is not a matter of "I think" or "my opinion is". Nothing else works really. Of course I am not suggesting fire everyone who does it, but make out an example. I will also add that many companies simply ignore it. So try to ignore this tendency. It does exist as a universal tendency. However, if this is critical value for your business, make out an example, and it is almost guaranteed that even the people who join later, once they know this example (and you can make sure they come to know) will not indulge into do it. Read Sun Tsu.
Dear Rashid,
Either change his department or fire him. No matter what people say, there is no third option to it. This is a very dangerous disease with only the above two curable medicines. Keeping information confidential is inherent and for people working in HR it is an absolute must.
So just act accordingly
Regards
From India, New Delhi
Either change his department or fire him. No matter what people say, there is no third option to it. This is a very dangerous disease with only the above two curable medicines. Keeping information confidential is inherent and for people working in HR it is an absolute must.
So just act accordingly
Regards
From India, New Delhi
Hi Rashid,
The person needs to be informed in a one-one discussion, that he/she has the access to certain information, only because of the position that they are in - and in return, it demands maintenance of confidentiality.
He/she has to abide by that, and also take the responsibility of sayign a clear "NO" to people in other depts who demands such information from them.
Regarding your questions:
What’s next? - Talk to the person involved in this action and find out teh clear reason behind it. I am sure that once its discussed face-face they will avoid such acts in future. Please send an email on the same and request acknowledgement on the same that they have understood the seriousness of the "confidentiality of such information"
An investigation? Required if he/she does not accept the fact that they were involved in the gossip. And after the findings - the above can be incorporated.
A stern but general talking to? Yes Yes yes!
A formal reprimand? If found guilty - and the email sent to receive acknowledgment of understanding the seriousness of the case, may suffice as an initial/first formal reprimand.
From India, Madras
The person needs to be informed in a one-one discussion, that he/she has the access to certain information, only because of the position that they are in - and in return, it demands maintenance of confidentiality.
He/she has to abide by that, and also take the responsibility of sayign a clear "NO" to people in other depts who demands such information from them.
Regarding your questions:
What’s next? - Talk to the person involved in this action and find out teh clear reason behind it. I am sure that once its discussed face-face they will avoid such acts in future. Please send an email on the same and request acknowledgement on the same that they have understood the seriousness of the "confidentiality of such information"
An investigation? Required if he/she does not accept the fact that they were involved in the gossip. And after the findings - the above can be incorporated.
A stern but general talking to? Yes Yes yes!
A formal reprimand? If found guilty - and the email sent to receive acknowledgment of understanding the seriousness of the case, may suffice as an initial/first formal reprimand.
From India, Madras
Rashid,
The person should be made understand his responsibility of holding a position in the HR and the confidentiality he has to adhere to regarding certain critical issues. Convey him clearly that, it will be of not worthy for him by leaking informations. Advise him to start developing the habit of saying no to others who wants to seek information, or give him a portfolio in which he is not related to any such confidential informations(Time office, Admin).
The person should be made understand his responsibility of holding a position in the HR and the confidentiality he has to adhere to regarding certain critical issues. Convey him clearly that, it will be of not worthy for him by leaking informations. Advise him to start developing the habit of saying no to others who wants to seek information, or give him a portfolio in which he is not related to any such confidential informations(Time office, Admin).
I agree with Asha, Have a one on one session with him and if required give him a written warning (as this is quite serious) If it persists, then FIRE the person... Thanks
From India, Faridabad
From India, Faridabad
Hello Rashid
As apanicker said, make him aware of his role & the Confidentiality he/She has to possess. Immediately send him a Official E-mail & ask his comments on this issue, then have a one to one discussion with him based on his reply.
If he/she is doing it knowingly & doesn't want to care about it, without knowing the seriousnees. Then you can proceed as per your Company procedures.
These kind of persons doesn't fit for this profession, who doesn't have the guts to say 'no (or) could'nt keep the information confidential.
Regards
Karthikeyan.V
From India, Bangalore
As apanicker said, make him aware of his role & the Confidentiality he/She has to possess. Immediately send him a Official E-mail & ask his comments on this issue, then have a one to one discussion with him based on his reply.
If he/she is doing it knowingly & doesn't want to care about it, without knowing the seriousnees. Then you can proceed as per your Company procedures.
These kind of persons doesn't fit for this profession, who doesn't have the guts to say 'no (or) could'nt keep the information confidential.
Regards
Karthikeyan.V
From India, Bangalore
It is a common knowledge that employees do discuss salary amongst themselves. Management in many companies have tried to control / stop it, but of no avail. I will give an instance I faced in one of my earlier companies. The company was a US-based subsidiary at Hyderabad and I was the Director - Operations there. After the first appraisal, I was shocked to find out that most of the employees knew not only the salary of their friends, they even knew the appraisal ratings. I convened a meeting of all the employees and reprimanded them for sharing such a confidential information. I told them the reason why they should not discuss the info and warned them of serious action, if they repeated. After the second apraisal (6 months later), I personally sent an email to all the employees to keep the info confidential. The result was that employees still talked to the HR-manager about their concerns in appraisal and hikes, but without mentioning names of their colleagues.
The jist is that employees will keep on discussing the salary information. However, if the HR-executive discusses it and you have authentic evidence of that, you should talk to him straight and put forward the evidence you have. Advise him to desist from repeating it again. If he does not stop, just SACK him. Otherwise, you are inviting trouble for the HR department. Employees will quote in future about HR being involved in leakage of salary information.
From India, Hyderabad
The jist is that employees will keep on discussing the salary information. However, if the HR-executive discusses it and you have authentic evidence of that, you should talk to him straight and put forward the evidence you have. Advise him to desist from repeating it again. If he does not stop, just SACK him. Otherwise, you are inviting trouble for the HR department. Employees will quote in future about HR being involved in leakage of salary information.
From India, Hyderabad
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