I’m starting to think I do that a lot more often than the average bear. What I can’t figure out is why anyone would facebook friend the girlfriend of a cousin who they’ve only met a few times. I’m also constantly surprised by the extreme planning that some will go to in an effort to tattle anonymously. Honestly people, MYOB, but if you’re going to be a narc just own it.
No shit.
No. “Not my prob” is callous statement made by people who don’t give a crap about the world around them or their fellow human beings. You actually think it’s a normal thing to say? It’s a jerkish thing to say. Haven’t you ever noticed that the only people on TV who say it are portrayed as jerks? That’s not a hollywood thing; that’s what people really think of said people.
Do I ever decide that my involvement will be worse than not being involved? Sure. But not here. The risk to me is absolutely minimal. The chance that I will be causing a problem is minimal. Chances are I will be helping this lady out.
It’s ridiculous to let her ignorance result in bad fortune when I can possibly prevent said bad fortune. After I do what I can, only then it is entirely her problem. To willfully allow someone to be fired for a mistake when I could have easily prevented it? That’s anathema to me.
It’s possible that cousin’s girlfriend changed the details of the story enough to make the client unidentifiable. This is fairly common practice on social media when one wishes to rant without risk.
Sending her a quick, “Just a heads up, some people are bigger meddlers than you could imagine so posting about clients could get you into trouble at work” would be totally fine. After reading this thread, I think I would do that. All the other things being talked about are seriously nutso.
But no, some things really really aren’t your problem, and it’s okay to say that (and I was talking about saying it to yourself! not even to someone else, obviously since no one asked for your involvement). It’s only callous if you’re doing it about something that actually should be your concern.
No one could have positively identified the client based on what was posted. The most that it could have provoked would have been suspicions like “Hmm, I wonder if she’s talking about (so and so)”. And who would have possibily known the private info like the number of abortions and miscarriages that this woman had in order to be able to identify her based on hearing it? I’m sure that would have been only a handful of people at most. For the vast majority of people, the number of kids was the only bit of information that could have been known prior to the posting; not NEARLY enough to id someone from. And even then, as was mentioned above, there is no way of knowing if that “info” was just made up or not.
I have never understood this idea that no matter what someone does, they do no deserve to lose their job. Sure, it’s a big consequence, but if you do something this stupid, that’s what can and probably should happen. Just think of the smart currently unemployed person who deserves her job. You are just freeing it up for her.
Person you like, though. Not person you hate. Not employee who gave you bad service. Most people don’t go around trying to get their friends fired. And most people also don’t go around worrying about the infinitely remote possibility of some unidentifiable person suing some business they probably never heard of until the other day.
No one has said anything like that no one deserves to get fired for anything.
To one of the posts above, medical professionals can only talk about a client if the other party is directly involved with clients’ care, or if it is for the greater good of the client.
In nursing, it is a breach of confidentiality to talk about a certain event or to give out information which could eventually lead to the identification to a client. Not sure if this applies to lawyers though.
You should report her because I believe that it is not acceptable. What if I read it and realized she was talking about my family member? Professionalism isn’t confined only to the workplace, you have to stick to it throughout your life as long as you are in a certain career.
Her values should not affect the care that this woman should be receiving, and if they are, she is free to take on another case instead (if possible). Talking to her employer should have been the first step, not posting on facebook and looking for a justification for her values.
Wrong is wrong, whether I like the person or not. “Trying to get someone fired” implies looking for reasons, not reacting to something right in front of you. If the assumption posted above that she works for a law firm is correct, she made a serious error in judgment and should not work there.
It’s a definite breach of confidentiality. It doesn’t matter one iota if the woman in question can not be specifically identified by the details provided, the girl is still publically releasing private and confidential information.
I’m in the finance game, (not healthcare or legal - not sure which one the girl works in) but the absolute highest standards of confidentiality apply across all those industries. If I found out an employee had done this (and ‘friends only’ or not it’s still considered a public forum), it would certainly provoke a talking to and possibly a written warning.
If I was in the OP’s position a PM would be fired off to the girl quicksmart recommending she delete the post. From the sounds, if the girls in question is still youngish and perhaps non too bright, she may not be aware of how serious what she’s done is. And I think even if she is only an acquaintance it is the right thing to do, to at least warn her, that it’s not OK to post that kind of information.
I really don’t understand anyone suggesting option 3 & 4. She isn’t a close friend sure, but would you really do something that could potentially get this girl fired, to someone you know and like, even if they’re not a close friend? (Rat on your friends for fun and profit. 
)
Totally with you, just pointing out that smaje is unlikely to get called on the carpet by random health care company or lawyer firm for not being proactive about their employing an idiot.
Agreed. The nice thing about this situation is you can help out the girlfriend AND the client at the same time, and you don’t have to sound like you’re chiding the girlfriend. Phrase it as trying to help her out. No need to get elaborate: “I saw this post, and thought you should know even if you don’t give out names, you could get in big trouble. It might be best not to post about work stuff like this.” She should appreciate the heads up, even if she feels a little abashed. Meanwhile, you’re hopefully preventing her from blabbing about other clients.
As a lawyer, I was taught that you don’t run up to the ethical line and play around putting your toe on it. You stay well back from the line. You avoid not only impropriety but the appearance of impropriety. In one ethics class I distinctly remember the lesson not to mention that a client was involved in a lawsuit, even though the lawsuit is a matter of public record! Random people should never find out anything about your clients from your office, even if they could dig it up elsewhere.
If I were her boss, and found that this was out there, with accurate details about the client, she would be fired so hard. If details were changed, she would get a severe warning not to post anything about work beyond her opinion of the break room coffee.
I would not be able to let it go. However, I would hope that your boyfriend (who is her cousin) saw the message, as well. I would probably get him (or some other closer relative) to deliver the news to her that posting such stuff is a seriously bad idea.