CV application being left around in a staff canteen

Glornafarraige

Just want your views on this issue..

I applied for a retail job with a well known fashion retailer. It was a standard application form. I did not get a call about an interview or anything so assumed i was unsuccessful. Then about a month later, an employee, who is an aquantince, from that same company casually mentioned to me that he knew I had an application in with that company.
Now he is not in management or anything. I asked him how he knew this, and he said he was bored one day in the canteen and read my application on his lunchbreak. I am fuming to think that all my personal details are being left around in a staff canteen for everyone to read. What should I do now? How do I go about complaining to the company?????????????

Tieko

That is pretty lazy of the company or person reviewing the cvs but I think if you ever want a chance of getting a job there, I wouldn't say anything.

Glornafarraige

I managed to get another job in the meantime. Is there any point ringing up management? its only because I heard this through an employee,

risteard7

This is happening all the time.cvs are being handed in and just thrown behind the counter for all the staff to have a look.its not fair

wmpdd3

That is really sloppy. The management obviously have no idea of their obligations under the 'Data Protection Act'.

I would write to the manager and ask for their word you application has been removed from public view. You have nothing to lose. Even if this manager did complain you to another manager they would take the view that your CV should never have been on view.

discus

wmpdd3 wrote: »

That is really sloppy. The management obviously have no idea of their obligations under the 'Data Protection Act'.

I would write to the manager and ask for their word you application has been removed from public view. You have nothing to lose. Even if this manager did complain you to another manager they would take the view that your CV should never have been on view.

I would send a copy to the Data Protection Commission too.

cast_iron

Glornafarraige wrote: »

IIs there any point ringing up management?

How is anyone here supposed to know?
The only way to find out is to go and do it and see what happens.

Mr. Loverman

Ask yourself this:

What good (FOR YOU) will come out of ringing the company complaining? NOTHING. But what you are pretty much guaranteeing is you will never be able to work for that company in the future, and you never know, Ireland is a small country so you may come into contact with the manager in the future.

If I were you I would forget about it and move on with your life.

There is no law which says CVs must be kept locked in a locker or whatever. The company can do whatever they want with your CV, including using it as wall paper. So technically they have done nothing wrong, although I would agree it is fairly unprofessional and sloppy on their part.

Shelflife

wmpdd3 wrote: »

That is really sloppy. The management obviously have no idea of their obligations under the 'Data Protection Act'.

Just curious, what are the obligations for management for CVs that are handed in unsolicited?

if someone just leaves in a CV behind the counter for a nonexistant job, what legal obligation is there (as opposed to basic manners) on the business to keep these applications in a secure place.

also whats the big deal(again apart from basic manners and good procedure), a CV is a basic document that gives name and address, what qualifications you have and your work experience, its not like there is information in it thats not in the public domain.

Marcusm

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Ask yourself this:

What good (FOR YOU) will come out of ringing the company complaining? NOTHING. But what you are pretty much guaranteeing is you will never be able to work for that company in the future, and you never know, Ireland is a small country so you may come into contact with the manager in the future.

If I were you I would forget about it and move on with your life.

There is no law which says CVs must be kept locked in a locker or whatever. The company can do whatever they want with your CV, including using it as wall paper. So technically they have done nothing wrong, although I would agree it is fairly unprofessional and sloppy on their part.

Did you just write this without thinking whatsoever?

The Data Protection Act covers the unauthorised disclosure of information and would certainly preclude using a CV containing personal information as wallpaper.

Based on the OP's post, the retail firm may have committed an offence under the DPA.

A broad summary of th obligations to the OP are as follows:


A data controller who holds information about you must:

• get and use the information fairly;
• keep it for only one or more clearly stated and lawful purposes;
• use and make known this information only in ways that are in keeping with these purposes;
• keep the information safe;
• make sure that the information is factually correct, complete and up-to-date;
• make sure that there is enough information – but not too much - and that it is relevant;
• keep the information for no longer than is needed for the reason stated; and
• give you a copy of your personal information when you ask for it.

Mr. Loverman

Marcusm wrote: »

Did you just write this without thinking whatsoever?

I agree using his CV as wall paper would cause a problem. I should not have used that example.

If you read the posters problem you will see someone went and accessed his CV because he was bored. In other words, he went and opened the filing cabinet (or whatever) and looked through the CVs.

None of the bullet points you listed suggest the employer has done anything wrong.

Marcusm

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

I agree using his CV as wall paper would cause a problem. I should not have used that example.

If you read the posters problem you will see someone went and accessed his CV because he was bored. In other words, he went and opened the filing cabinet (or whatever) and looked through the CVs.

None of the bullet points you listed suggest the employer has done anything wrong.

Rubbish; nothing in the OP's post suggests that he took it from a filing cabinet - it implies that he found it lying in the canteen. What they have breached is the requirement to keep the information safe. Even if it had been in a filing cabinet, they have a requirement to maintain restricted access to such information, i.e. bored people can't simply pick up and read what they want.

Mr. Loverman

Not sure why you're getting upset. Regardless of whether i'm right or wrong, we both know the company will face zero consequences if a complaint is made to the data commissioner.

Mrs OBumble

Some companies have policies that they only hire someone after all the staff agree. So when you hand in a CV, you should basically assume that pretty much anyone there might see it. Illegal or not, you're dreaming if you think that CVs that applicants hand in (especially unsolicited ones) are kept for management eyes only.

xOxSinéadxOx

This happens all the time! If you have a problem with it put your CV in an envelope.

Corruptedmorals

It paints a bad image of the company really- it's one thing leaving CV's in a pile at tillbanks that staff can read if they want, but a canteen? Should never be there in the first place. That said, I myself wouldn't really care enough to do anything as the information given is fairly standard and unlikely to be very interesting to staff.

Stheno

Under data protection, most if not all of the information a c.v. would not be considered requiring protection, e.g. name/address.

It's unlikely imo that any complaint in that regard would progress.

Mr. Loverman

Stheno wrote: »

It's unlikely imo that any complaint in that regard would progress.

Yep, that's the great thing about Ireland, lots of regulation but little enforcement!

It reminds me of the time when I went to the labour rights commissioner (or whatever it's called) to get back pay owed by an employer. It took ages to get the money. Before I got the money I asked the government official dealing with it "what happens if they don't give me the money?". He kept saying "they have to". But when I pushed him to tell me what will actually happen to the employer if they don't give me the money, he admitted nothing would happen!

catzwizkas

An important point is whether the CV was solicited in response to an actual recruitment initiative.

In our company everyone and their Aunty brings CV's into the HR department who also deal with around 100 they receive every week in the post, and that's excluding the emails. If the HR lady goes to the kitchen to get a glass of water she invariably goes back to her office with unsolicited CV's tucked under her arm from colleagues who are constantly handing CV's to her, and there are no jobs going in our company. Poor woman still tries to file them and process letters or emails back even though there is no obligation to do it.

I would agree its unprofessional and unfortunate but it probably reflects on a human having a human moment and accidentally forgetting something. Surely we've all left things lying around. There is no evidence of malicious intent.

wmpdd3

Where I work it would be mis-conduct to leave any persons CV in a public place.

As above hundreds of unsolicited CV are handed in every week, kept on file for 6 months, then shredded.

Whether its a CV for a mangers job or a 20 hr contract, they are all treated the same. In smaller places I would often do filing and housekeeping in the canteen but only on my own and I would make sure it all went back to the office with me. You just would.

Glornafarraige

it was a cv and a standard application form. The employee in question told me I had 'ticks' over certain parts , as in I was almost successful. This employee too was a bit sarcastic about my CV and was poking fun at me. I think I have to say it to him again that he was unprofessional. I am going to go have a private word with the manager, and just ask what the policy is with CVs if the application has not been successful. I might just leave it at that. As many of you have mentioned it is not extremely personal information, and I agree with that now.

Harpy

Hey,
Did you write into the get ireland working thing in the sun about this?

Was just reading it today and your post was in the agony aunt section of the pull out in the sun word for word ..
Just wondering if you actually sent it in or did the sun just lift it from here?
Just curious really.

Jellybaby1

A lot of retail managers have no expertise in company law, they do not know what their responsibilities are regarding private data. It has come to my notice that some retail establishments are breaking the data protection laws by allowing any number of their shop assistants to read CV's. I have heard in one case a shop assistant tore up someone's CV because they knew the person, didn't like them very much, and wanted to sabotage their chances of getting a job. That is just one example of what can happen. It also doesn't matter whether the CV is in an envelope or not, they can still be opened by anyone if there are no strict observance of the rules.

stovelid

If you're that ashamed of your CV, maybe that's why you didn't get the job.

Seriously tthough: it was remiss of them to leave it around but It's hardly classified information. And your mate is hardly a saint for reading it. Maybe you should tell them about him/her too.

enfant terrible

stovelid wrote: »

If you're that ashamed of your CV, maybe that's why you didn't get the job.

Seriously tthough: it was remiss of them to leave it around but It's hardly classified information. And your mate is hardly a saint for reading it. Maybe you should tell them about him/her too.

Why would you think he/she was ashamed of their CV?

Glornafarraige

Harpy wrote: »

Hey,
Did you write into the get ireland working thing in the sun about this?

Was just reading it today and your post was in the agony aunt section of the pull out in the sun word for word ..
Just wondering if you actually sent it in or did the sun just lift it from here?
Just curious really.

em no, didn't send it in to any newspaper . really, word for word ?

Harpy

Glornafarraige wrote: »

em no, didn't send it in to any newspaper . really, word for word ?

Yip, I had read your thread and then was reading the sun and was like hmmm that story sounds familiar, so came on here and it was the exact same word for word..