My employer keeps ‘losing’ my private documents. What if I get scammed?

Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on the workplace, career and leadership in her advice column “Got a Minute?” This week: privacy concerns, a narcissistic coworker and reference gaps on a resume.

It’s reasonable to be concerned about identity theft and privacy in the workplace.

In my job, I often have to visit other businesses. Some are commercial businesses, but others are government departments or companies that have security concerns. My boss constantly requests copies of my driver’s licence, which are then sent to the companies contracting us. They used to at least cover my signature when copying my license, but now they don’t bother. Is this legal? My boss often requests additional copies, as they have “lost” the original copies I made. I’m very concerned about identity theft and fraud. What should I do?

As I can see, you appreciate that working in high-security environments often means needing to provide proof of identification. The bigger issue seems to be how your employer is handling your personal information once you provide it and frankly, it does sound like they can do a lot better.

I wanted to find out what requirements employers have for handling your personal identification in situations like this and Sarah Queenan, founder and managing director of Humanify HR Consulting, advises you should first see whether your employer has a privacy policy (they should have) which will set out the responsibilities they commit to.

You can then raise your concerns with your boss and explain you would like to work with them to find a better way for them to handle your personal information. Being concerned about identity theft and fraud is a valid concern for everyone, so hopefully they will respond positively to your suggestion.

I’ve worked for a company with only a handful of employees for 10 years. The owner has never been great at managing people, but the problem is worse now that one of my colleagues is a narcissist. My boss is immune to it – or even encourages it by his inaction – as he is too weak to do anything about it. I’ve tried to talk to my boss, yet his response is one of indifference. I have been accused of trying to “cause a scene” so I now work remotely as often as possible to avoid my colleague; however, this is frowned upon. Is it time to move on or confront the issue?

You have confronted the issue by raising it with your boss already. The fact that they are not making a change probably tells you what you need to know. I suspect it may be time to move on. Life is too short to be working with unpleasant people and if you can leave this organisation without burning any bridges, that is most likely the best outcome.

You will want a great reference for future roles from your boss and I don’t think it will pose any risk to your future career if you recognise after 10 years it is time for a new challenge.

I am in my sixties, and I am intent on remaining in employment for many more years. My challenge is how to apply for new roles without decent references. I worked for one employer for a decade but left after two years of stress leave, so my letter of employment was fairly bare. I then gained a full-time role but was terminated unexpectedly. What can I do?

Your best – and frankly only – approach is total honesty.

I would find a way to summarise the last two roles in ways that are not defensive and avoid just blaming others, but show you have reflected on the poor culture fit (or whatever it might have been) which meant neither role worked out. You are going to need to find a potential employer who is prepared to take a chance on you and that means finding a way to connect with them. That connection will only happen if your future employer feels they can trust you, so being honest about the two events and what you learnt from them – in terms of things you might do differently and bring to a new role – will help.

As hard as it will be, try to avoid attacking your past employers. This will not serve you well, and you will stand a much better chance of future employment if you can present in a way that focuses only on the many years of experience you can bring to a new role.

To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask (you will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited).

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