confidentiality issue with HR manager

[summertalk]

I work for a New Hampshire not-for-profit organisation. I have been having issues with my supervisor - communication. I went to our Human Resource Manager with my concerns about my supervisor and also filled her in on some general issues from the summer. I specifically asked about viewing my file which she allowed me to do. I expressed some concern regarding the file I thought my supervisor had on me and questioned her about the process of making a formal complaint (which I didn't follow up on). I never actually asked her to do anything and I assumed that our conversation was confidential. However, I know that she spoke with my supervisor and the CEO about our conversation. My supervisor admitted it very openly.

i thought that a conversation with the HR manager was confidential - or am I wrong? Should I have made it clear from the beginnning that this was the case?

Do I have any recourse?

[Sockeye]

HR Managers need to investigate claims made and him keeping a "secret" file on you would be somthing she'd should follow up on.

Investigation should be done as discreetly as possible but there is no labor laws broken in this situation.

I understand that you may feel uncomfortable with your current supervisor, but the percieved problem was addressed and there should be some satisfaction with that.

[cbg]

Labor laws do not require that all conversations with HR be kept confidential - in fact, in some cases HR would be violating the law by doing so. For example, suppose you reported that you were being sexually harassed but that you did not want HR to tell anyone or do anything. Once you have told them about it, HR is obligated under the law to investigate, and they cannot investigate without telling someone or doing something.

Certainly any discussion of the information you provide should be solely on a need-to-know basis, but it is impossible to completely tie their hands with regards to confidentiality and still operate within the law.

[Beth3]

Originally Posted by summertalk

I work for a New Hampshire not-for-profit organisation. I have been having issues with my supervisor - communication. I went to our Human Resource Manager with my concerns about my supervisor and also filled her in on some general issues from the summer. I specifically asked about viewing my file which she allowed me to do. I expressed some concern regarding the file I thought my supervisor had on me and questioned her about the process of making a formal complaint (which I didn't follow up on). I never actually asked her to do anything and I assumed that our conversation was confidential. However, I know that she spoke with my supervisor and the CEO about our conversation. My supervisor admitted it very openly.

i thought that a conversation with the HR manager was confidential - or am I wrong? Should I have made it clear from the beginnning that this was the case?

Do I have any recourse?

Since we can't know all the particulars of your situation, it's not possible to say what HR should have done but if there are concerns with the supervisor that needed to be addressed, HR would almost certainly have to discuss those with him or her. It simply wouldn't be possible to try and resolve the problems without talking to the supervisor, letting him or her know what the problem or perception is, and working with him or her to create a plan to fix things.

It's fine to tell HR that there's a problem but if HR is no more than the respository of employees' concerns, then none of the problems would ever improve.