You've Got to Be Kidding!: How to Keep Your Job Without Losing Your Integrity

Is Firing Too Harsh?

We’ve discussed situations whereby the penalty for a breach of confidentiality was termination. Some may regard this punishment as a bit harsh, but this is the norm, not the exception, nowadays. These bosses were not out of line; they were just being careful. The consequences and penalties for violating data privacy laws, confidential marketing agreements, client and patient confidentiality, and the like are severe. As soon as you cross that line of divulging confidential information, you have become a liability to the organization, and can expect—and deserve—to be cut loose. Most managers can attest to the fact that business is tough enough without making more trouble for ourselves with careless mistakes regarding how we handle the information entrusted to us.