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Confidentiality
Have you ever been in a situation where confidentiality was crucial? Where a settlement or a deal could all fall apart if confidentiality was breached?
I have been in a situation like this with a workplace incident with my husband. We ended up having to go to arbitration to settle an issue. We had his union as our representation and the company had their own legal counsel.
The decision that was made was binding and one of the terms was confidentiality. If we breached confidentiality the settlement would collapse.
It can be very difficult to keep these matters confidential, especially when people know that you are in the midst of it. We had family members and friends who knew what was going on and were waiting to hear how it all played out. When they would ask us how it went, we basically had to say that we were not at liberty to give them any details because of the confidentiality clause. That was disappointing to people that were invested in the outcome on our behalf.
It was also difficult for me to not discuss the outcome with my close friends and family because I was trying to process the decision myself.
I can completely understand the need for confidentiality in matters like this for both parties, but it doesn’t make it easy to not be able to tell anyone what the outcome was!
At this point we are many years past this event so people have forgotten about it. No one asks anymore what happened at that time because they know that we cannot disclose the information.
When something relating to this issue does come up, my husband and I are always reminded of what a precarious time this was in our relationship. It was a challenging situation with challenging outcomes, and to never be able to discuss it with anyone has also proven to be difficult.
Thankfully we have been able to move forward in our life, but the confidentiality surrounding the outcome of this situation remains in place.
Have you ever had to remain confidential in a difficult situation?
Interesting Fact #1
The term 'confidentiality' means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information.
Interesting Fact #2
If a colleague confides that they are leaving you might feel like your manager should be forewarned. If you’re told about a situation that is going to impact someone in your team you might be tempted to let them know.
Interesting Fact #3
When you’re told something in confidence it’s probably because you need to know (before others), someone has news they want to share (and they trust you) or because your (valued) opinion is being sought. Think about the why and then file the info away. Or if it’s something you need to think through or act on – you can do so without getting caught up in the secrecy of the situation.
Quote of the day
“Confidentiality is a delicate bargain of trust.” ― Martin Uzochukwu Ugwu
Article of the day - My Manager Told Me Something in Confidence. Should I Warn My Coworkers?
Question: I work at a restaurant. Last week, my manager told me in confidence that he believes the restaurant will be closing due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I feel like I am now in an awkward position. I want to share this with my colleagues, but I also want to keep my manager's trust. How should I handle this? – Anonymous
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted employees, employers, and businesses in a million big and little ways.
It seems like you’ve been put in an incredibly difficult position – balancing the knowledge of a potential closure impacting you and your colleagues while keeping your people manager’s trust.
That said, I encourage you to keep this sensitive information to yourself. It’s understandable you would want to share this news with your co-workers, given it impacts them, but your supervisor told you this information in complete confidence. Acting on this knowledge could break your people manager’s trust and create stress for your colleagues.
I’ll add this: Spreading the news prematurely could have consequences – especially because you may not have the full story. While I can’t speak to the specifics, the truth is, your people manager, too, might not have the whole picture. Although they told you they believe the business may close, the decision doesn’t seem to be set in stone.
You could also speak with your boss and share that although you will keep the information to yourself, you would like to know if there are any plans underway for leadership to formally communicate changes with staff.
Either way, it’s in the best interest of you and your team to wait until management makes an official, public announcement before discussing any news.
Again – this is truly a hard position to be in, and it’s difficult to keep a conversation of this magnitude to yourself. However, your people manager will applaud you for handling this professionally. Keep your head up and good luck.
Question of the day - What do you think is the most difficult part of having to remain confidential in a difficult situation?
Politics & Governance
What do you think is the most difficult part of having to remain confidential in a difficult situation?
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