So...my HR person gave my cell phone # to a fellow employee...

[Mr Downtown]

Just imagine the horror if some big corporation tried to publish a book with the name, address, and phone number of every person in your town! What a complete nightmare! Anybody who knew your name could look up your phone number just like that. And the identity fraud that could occur . . .

[$tevie]

I don't understand why so many of you seem completely lacking in the knowledge of what an HR department is all about.

[mrbigstuff]

Black wrote:
The "cell" part is irrelevant unless you're stuck in the past. People's cell phone numbers are now by and large their numbers, period.
The question should be simply "HR gave out my phone number . . ."
Which may or may not have been appropriate depending on circumstances, which we don't know.

I agree with this and that is also my situation - I can't feign indignation at my phone number being used for work purposes if it's the only one I have. I'll add that if you are expected to remain in contact over a project or an interview, etc, then it comes with the territory.

Given your update, I agree that the HR person is clueless but it was probably an honest mistake. The lying... not so much.

[RAMd®d]

Not a supervisor, and not work related.


This is from her original post.

That tells me all I need to know.

She wasn't apoplectic. She didn't rant. I suspect CJ already knows "what comes with the territory" and what doesn't.

HR could have made an innocent mistake, but lying about it says that HR knew she shouldn't have given the number out. I'm betting she took it upon herself thinking "Oh, It'll be alright, this once". Assuming it was only just this once.

Maybe she thought "It's just a cell number. Why should anybody care if I give it out?"


The HR person made a small error in judgment when she gave your phone number to someone...

No, that's a *big* error, regardless of motivation, and done to the wrong person, has the potential for *big* (read: serious) consequences. It's just not her call (npi) to make.


Many of you are missing the point. It IS a big deal...

This and the rest of rz's post covers the all the bases.

And even if it were another co-worker instead of HR, I'd take that person to task in a heartbeat. That doesn't mean they'd be drawn and quartered, or that I'd even raise my voice. But they'd know not to do that again, to anybody.

Which is as it should be.

[Black]

RAMd®d wrote:
Not a supervisor, and not work related.

This is from her original post.

That tells me all I need to know.

So the additional information that CJ had initiated a non-work-related "deal" with the other party doesn't interest you? Or are you just digging in because you know it's expected of you?

[N-OS X-tasy!]

M A V I C wrote:
HR should never give out personal information.

To do so IS illegal.

[N-OS X-tasy!]

RAMd®d wrote:
The HR person made a small error in judgment when she gave your phone number to someone...

No, that's a *big* error, regardless of motivation, and done to the wrong person, has the potential for *big* (read: serious) consequences.

Agreed. Based on the information presented here, the HR person probably violated company policy (which is created and implemented specifically to minimize the company's exposure to legal liability) and almost certainly broke the law. The fact that she lied about it afterward only compounds an already serious problem.

It sounds to me like this person is not qualified or fit to work in an HR department.

[CJsNvrUrly]

Yes, that's what I thought, too. (All of the above.):burnout:

[RAMd®d]

So the additional information that CJ had initiated a non-work-related "deal" with the other party doesn't interest you?

Of course not. It's irrelevant. The "deal" was between CJ and a co-worker, not related to CJ's work, and most definitely, still not within the purview of HR.

None of the additional info changes what CJ said in her first post.

You apparently believe you're expected to be an ass.