Navigating Confidentiality in HR: What Information Should Stay Private?

Respected all seniors,

I worked in Lahore, Pakistan as an HR Assistant for 3 years, and now I am in Dubai in the same position for the last 4 months.

Sir, I would like to ask you which type of information in the HR Department cannot be disclosed to irrelevant employees or other departments. For example, are salaries confidential or not?

Actually, my HR Manager, who is Filipino, keeps information confidential. When I asked her to let me prepare an offer letter, she said it's confidential because all terms and conditions regarding employment and salary structure are mentioned on it.

She doesn't even show me the offer letter, even though we are the only two persons in the HR Department.

In Pakistan, my job duties included handling monthly payroll, overtime, preparing miscellaneous accounts such as bonuses, increments, gratuity, and final settlements. I also prepared offer letters, handled promotions, transfers, terminations, contracts, probationary and confirmation letters, as well as experience letters. In the recruitment process, I maintained applications and resume inventory, coordinated in making performance appraisal reports of staff, and prepared job descriptions.

My HR manager shared everything with me in Pakistan, but now I am facing this issue where she keeps such things confidential. I don't know why; when I ask her something, she just says it's confidential.

Best regards,

KASHAF
Dubai

Dear KASHAF,

You just mentioned to her that you are going to leave the current organization!! If she asks why, just tell her it's confidential.

Just joking :D

Hi Karan,

You are great, but not more than I. Actually, I already did that but just joking manner. She never minds about it and gives me a cute smile. I don't know what she wants...?

The problem is that I am 27 years old and she is 26 years + 11 months. She knows that I have good experience in HR, so if I am not wrong, I think she is playing/enjoying with me...! Many times she says, "Kashaf, you are my best friend, not my assistant."

Anyway, you are right, we should make our job fun.

Thanks

Hi Kashar,

I have also faced such a problem in the past. Since you have recently joined, I am not aware of her duration. If it is longer than your duration, it may take some time. If it is less, then she may already have formed some perception about you.

Regards,
Mrugesh

I see no such proprietary info to be guarded. Definitely, salary info is confidential. The question is to what extent. Don't banks run background checks? Also, are not CRA reports handy for people who intend to deal with you? Your manager is an insecure person and following the philosophy "information is power."

Surya

Hi Mrugesh,

She has 1 year of experience in Dubai. However, in the Philippines, she worked for 4 years. That means she has 2 years more experience than me in HR.

In Dubai, it's not easy to change your job because employees sign an employment contract for 3 years. They cannot break that contract before 3 years, and if they do, the UAE Immigration Department imposes a 6-month ban on working in the UAE. This means they cannot work for 6 months in the UAE. The situation is different from Pakistan and India.

Therefore, I am not in a position to change my job. Sir, if I am not mistaken, I am trying to build a more friendly relationship with her and see what happens. What is your opinion, sir?

Many Thanks,
Regards,
KASHAF
Dubai

Hi Kashaf,

You are absolutely correct. Wait and see because in any company, you can expect things to happen in your way when you join recently. Keep your patience and don't bother about the things which are not in your hands. Keep working and make a good impression; then all things will come your way. This is the only mantra: you have to prove that you can work well and you have to gain the impression in front of your boss that you are trustworthy; then things will automatically happen in your way. Be smart and bold; don't let things slip out of your hands.

Regards,
Kalyan. :D

Hi Kashaf,

It's a simple one. In your HR department, two of them are there. When did you join this organization? The problem is, previously, she used to handle all the HR activities and made management seem busy with her work. When you joined this company, she didn't want to lose her work and showed no interest in helping you learn about the company's work.

It means to say - "Internal Politics." You need to tackle and come out of this circle to prove yourself. Kashaf, you already have much more experience in HR from your previous company. Gain the attention of your management to your side and, at any cost, don't leak any news to your employees about politics in your department.

Reply.

Regards,
Saravana
Executive - HR

Hi Kashaf,

It is probably just her own policy. You mentioned what you did when you were in Pakistan, but what do you do now? Are your duties the same? Anyway, I had a similar experience before with my boss, well, ex-boss. She allowed me to access information up to a certain level only, while she kept those at the same level or higher restricted. The reason? "It's confidential" or 'need-to-know basis'. I could only access information in the personal file when handling Industrial Relations matters.

Perhaps it's also because you recently joined (am I correct?). So, revealing sensitive information to you so soon might not be prudent in your boss's eyes.

Anyway, I don't think you should worry too much about not having information like salary and terms and conditions. As long as you have the relevant and necessary information to do your job, I think you'll be fine.

Consider working on creating and strengthening trust between you and your superior.

Regards,

Ricardo

Hi,

This occurs in all major HR departments because it is a policy to keep records clean and safe from unauthorized eyes. The main reason behind this is to create a positive working atmosphere rather than a competitive one. If I were to discover at any point that the person sitting next to me earns more than me while doing similar work, it could lead to conflicts.

To prevent such issues, HR departments keep records confidential and secure.

Hope this explanation helps.

eBRo

Hello Kashaf!

Maybe you have to gain the confidence of your boss that you are capable of keeping information "confidential." Such confidence comes over a period of time, and you must be patient and not get perturbed. Please do your assignments with diligence and productively to gain acceptance by your boss.

You must also observe the culture of the organization. You may never know that your boss is acting as such because of his/her superior's instructions. You may be surprised to know that in one of my previous organizations where I joined as the head of HR, salaries of existing employees were being kept "confidential" from me by the accounts department (as instructed by the CEO) who were minting the personnel folders!

Wishing you all the luck.

INDER SETHI GM-HR The Indian Smelting & Refining Co. Ltd. Mumbai

Hi Seniors, Mr. Ricardo,

You are right, sir. I just need to think about creating and strengthening trust between me and my superior.

Mr. eBro,

I was not asking about her salary. I want to assist her in the preparation of offer letters, promotions, transfers, termination letters, contractual, probationary, confirmation, and experience letters as well. I want to assist her in conducting initial interviews and test schedules. Yes, it is one of the policies to keep records clean and safe from other eyes. The only reason behind this is to create a good working atmosphere, not a competitive atmosphere, that's correct. But, I am a part of the HR team, why does she keep records confidential from my eyes?

Thanks and regards,
KASHAF
Dubai

Hi,

Same case with me too. Only the HR manager and I handled the whole HR department. He told me never to disclose confidential information, but he only kept certain information confidential from me.

The confidential things that only the HR manager and I (HR Assistant) knew were:

- Job offers and CTC details: I used to prepare them, and he used to sign them, so both of us knew about it.
- Salary details: We both used to process them.
- Performance appraisals details.
- Latest news about who has resigned and who is joining.
- Certain letters of increment, decrement, warnings, and bonuses issued to employees: I used to prepare the letters, and he used to sign them. So, the above things were only known to both of us.

I hope this helps clarify the situation.

Dear Kashif,

Assalamo Alikum. Don't take this matter as seriously. Spend your efforts towards your job and the tasks given to you, and leave thinking about those matters treated as "Confidential" from you. Try to live without those ideas/information; maybe it is useful for you not to know such information, and I think these are not essential for you to perform your job. So, leave worrying about it and pay your attention to perform your job.

Ok.

From,
Muhammad
Pakistani

Dear Kashaf,

I am sorry if this comment hurts you, but you have to understand the point here. This is not the place for all these things (falling in love). You are free to do what you want, but please do not make a mockery of the members in this serious HR forum. This is a purely professional forum, so please maintain proper decorum.

Here, everyone is trying to help you out from a situation which you requested. Please stick to it and take necessary guidance.

Regards,
Rajeev.

Dear Kashaf,

Inder Sethi Sir has rightly said that observing the culture of the organization is very important. "Observation" as such is a great tool in the hand of a great observer (if HR personnel are trained for this).

It is still very important for you because you are working in Dubai - a work culture definitely different from India and Pakistan. Know the HR practices of Dubai. Get knowledge. Equip yourself.

Then your department and organization. See its culture. Concentrate on your job at hand. I think you must have been allotted tasks that do not require the kind of information you are mentioning. If it is true, then try hard to perform/excel in your allocated area/assignments of work first. As most of your friends have already written, with time and your hard work, your capabilities will be known to your "Boss" and her "Bosses" as well.

Remember, you have to spend at least 3 years there. You should have patience. Do not make haste lest things may take a wrong turn.

One more thing, if you want to fall in love with your manager, please go ahead. But here also the above advice is handy. Remember, "slow and steady" wins the race. Observe, create opportunities, take chances, and go ahead with a positive frame of mind.

Go ahead, all the best wishes. And let us know if something cooks up.

Ashok Kumar

Dear Kashaf,

In my opinion, I am against withholding information on the grounds of confidentiality from subordinates unless it is so sensitive that it would affect working relations and conditions.

This practice is usually carried out by people who are insecure about their position and try to gain importance and power by creating barriers in the flow of information. They believe that having information gives them power, which they fear will diminish once the information is shared. CiteHR captures this idea well with the caption "Knowledge grows when shared."

None of us work in an espionage agency or in nuclear/missile weaponry systems, so it is quite amusing to hear such terms being used in our context.

While certain information may be confidential to a specific level or department, when it comes to individuals, the employee should be placed at a very high level of trust.

For instance, salary information should be kept confidential outside of HR, but within the HR department, it should not be considered confidential.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly support your concerns and would recommend, as other respected members have, that you work on building a good relationship with your boss. You could even share this site and our discussions with her.

Regards,

SC

Dear sir,

Mr. Swastik,

Thank you so very much for the guidance!

Sir, I printed out all our discussions from this forum and placed them on her table. She said, "Let me read all of these, and then I will provide you with a detailed answer."

Thanks & Regards,

KASHAF
Dubai

Hi Kashaf,

It's always good to learn things at your own pace. Simply prove to yourself that you are capable of handling confidential matters, and I am sure that your manager will build trust in you.

Thanks,
Sugandhi

Hi,

Wait for two more months. Meanwhile, try to make connections with some other employees in other departments.

Is it possible for you to approach a more senior person above your colleague? If it is possible, I guess that would be a nice thing to do. But be prepared with something that is absolutely value-adding to the organization. Try to identify something which does not exist in the company - some good practice that will help them reduce costs in some aspects. Read and prepare on the same. Propose it when your chance comes. Try to push your cause. Don't give up. You will get what you want. No organization wants to carry forward an unwanted person. Try to do something.

Goodbye.

Respected all seniors,

I worked in Lahore, Pakistan as an HR Assistant for 3 years, and now I am in Dubai in the same position for the last 4 months.

I would like to ask which type of information in the HR Department cannot be disclosed to irrelevant employees or other departments. For example, are salaries confidential or not?

My HR Manager, who is Filipino, keeps information confidential. When I asked her to let me prepare an offer letter, she mentioned that it's confidential because all terms and conditions regarding employment, including salary structure, are mentioned in it. She doesn't even show me the offer letter, despite the fact that we are only 2 persons in the HR Department.

In Pakistan, my job duties included handling monthly payroll, overtime, preparation of miscellaneous accounts such as bonus, increments, gratuity, and final settlements. I also prepared offer letters, handled promotions, transfers, terminations, contractual and probationary letters, confirmations, and experience letters. Additionally, I managed the recruitment process, maintained applications and resume inventory, coordinated in making performance appraisal reports of staff, and prepared job descriptions.

My HR Manager in Pakistan shared everything with me, but now I am facing this issue where she keeps things confidential without providing a reason.

KASHAF
Dubai

Kashif,

Things should not be confidential within the HR Department, especially when there are only two of you. As you are new there, it may be challenging to change jobs within a year, especially if you hold a master's degree. I suggest you to "Wait and See" and focus on delivering good performance while understanding the work environment. New assignments are not a problem, but it is crucial to grasp the environment.

Best of luck.

Ramzan Sheikh

My Dear Kasaf,

From all the replies posted by the members and your comments on those replies, it shows that your problem is not genuine and you are fantasizing about her. You are thinking you have more experience than her, so you believe you are superior. If she is your boss and says something is confidential, then it is confidential; why worry about it?

I am working in a large organization with 15 persons in the HR department. We all sit in an open module in a big hall. When our manager says something is confidential and assigns it to any one of us, none of us have any business with that assignment, and neither do we discuss it.

The end result is that after the assignment is ready, the boss himself tells us about the assignment, its purpose, and why it was marked confidential. So, dear Kasaf, be focused and do not fantasize.

Amit

Very well said, Amit.

A confidential thing is to be disclosed at a right time; it's not necessary that all things are to be disclosed at one go. The point lies in making the best out of it. For example, even with friends, sometimes we say, "seal your lips," that doesn't mean that we are hiding things; it just means to state something personal.

So, chill and concentrate on the task given to you. Why get bothered about others' things?

Thanks,
Sugandhi

Dear Kashaf,

I agree with Surya. Definitely, salary information is confidential up to a certain extent. But when there are only two people in a department, and you have more experience in this field than your manager, it is possible that your manager is an insecure person. You should rather speak to a senior, to whom she is reporting. Maybe your problem can be sorted out because in the long run, hiding things will not work.

Otherwise, start looking for another job.

Regards,
Sumedha

Dear Friend,

While working in an organization, it is necessary to keep some things confidential in the HR department. The HR department has to maintain confidentiality in areas such as:

1) Performance Appraisal forms of Employees.
2) Performance evaluation of employees (quarterly/half-yearly).
3) Increments and recommended raises given to employees.
4) Salaries of particular employees.

Confidentiality must be upheld in the above areas not only within departments but also with other departments. This is important because there is a risk that employees might become demotivated or dissatisfied upon learning about other employees' salary increases, increments, compensation, or evaluations.

Hi Kashaf!

I hope you have read the post by Amit. There are so many functions in HR. Your so-called complaint is about your boss keeping things secret from you. I feel there is nothing wrong with it. You have recently joined the organization. All bosses evaluate subordinates for some time and, based on observations, decide the further course of action.

Furthermore, you should only be worried about the details required for you to perform your functions/assignments. If offer letters are handled by her, let the details be with her. Your concern should only be limited to what details you require to carry out the jobs assigned to you.

I am really amazed about assumed/presumed fantasies discussed, which, according to me, have no place in professional life and further should not be discussed in forums.

Hope you will take the above message positively.

- Hiten

Hi,

According to me, since you have joined recently, though you may have a good amount of experience than her, I feel she has more knowledge about the working and culture of the company. You have to obey her instructions until you can prove your trust to her. Once this is taken care of, I am sure everything will fall into the right perspective. I have just one piece of advice: don't be impulsive.

With warm regards,
Karuuna

Dear Brother Kashif,

Nice to see you here. As far as your matter is concerned, I would like to add that there are always some confidential matters in every department, but it is usually only for newcomers or employees who are not considered trustworthy. I think he still perceives you as somebody who joined just to obtain information and will leave after gaining access to confidential information. If this is not the case, then she is living in a fool's paradise. If you are performing the same job, it indicates a lack of trust in your own employees, which can be irritating and lead to dissatisfaction among them. I am 100% certain that conditions in other departments of your company will be different. It appears there may be some psychological issue with her, which is why she is not showing trust, even toward her partner (you).

Regards,
Hafiz Sagheer Ahmed
hr@niagaramills.com

If she is a Filipino, all you need to do is understand her. There is always a cultural difference between both of your people, so remember, first, what you need to do is just chill and try to connect with her on professional ethics.

Kashaf,

That was really great communication going on.

It seems it has become a matter of discussion. I want to tell you something: when I joined here as an Asst HR, even I was told that there are some things that are confidential. In that case, I was not interfering in all those matters. I was not allowed to see pay slips and salaries of my director, but later on, once I got confirmed, means I got her trust, now she never said anything about the confidentiality. Later on, I am the only point of contact apart from her (like you). I know everything right from my MD's salary also. Salary is not the only thing; we keep on meeting on working days for lunch/tea so that we can update each other on the happenings in and around the company. It's not possible to remember all the things and report them back to your superior.

So don't worry, hold on. She may be judging you for some time, and later on, she can move herself for higher responsibilities before you take care of the rest of the things.

Best of luck,

Bharat.

Hi Kashaf,

I am sorry I am a little late in posting my reply to this topic, but I guess it's always "better late than never."

I just want to add one line from my side: "Put yourself in your boss's shoes and see how you feel." All I want to say is, I don't want to go into a debate as to whether the information is as confidential as your boss thinks it is.

I just want to cite an example: if tomorrow a person who is junior to you joins the team, will you hand over all the important documents and information to him on the very first day? Perhaps not; you will take some time to judge that person on a professional as well as personal level. When you have complete faith in that person that he can handle things smartly, only then will you delegate your responsibilities.

Please don't think I am trying to justify what your boss is doing. I empathize with you, and I understand that it can be really frustrating for someone to hear "it's confidential" every time you want to take up some responsibility with honest intentions in mind. I am just trying to point out what could be the possible reason for such kind of behavior from your boss.

The most important thing is to "take light" and don't get "bogged down."

Thanks and Regards,

Indrani Chakraborty