Members have noted a recent change to Ask The Boss. It has now without warning or indeed any explanatory reason been made mandatory for the individual to identify themselves for their question to be accepted for answer.Some members have questioned whether this means that individuals could be threatened with disciplinary or some other subtle career limiting action for asking a question that the boss might deem awkward or in some way off-message! We have no way of knowing if that could or would happen, however, in an effort to discern the intention of the recent change, your branch secretary has put the question (below) to Ask The Boss for clarification.
In the meantime, the BEC has today agreed that any members wishing to ask a suitable question and who feels uncomfortable to do so under the new mandatory system may ask the secretary to place it for them. If that is you, please send your question to my Gsi email address (Ian Melvin SPVA) , or to VA(NB)PCS Branch Secretary, room 6117 Norcross, or if you wish to remain anonymous simply leave a question in the form of comment to this post or any other on the blog.
The question put to the Boss by your branch secretary on 22 April is:
“I note with some concern the recent change to Ask The Boss. Previously, the system would allow individuals to Ask The Boss a question with complete anonymity. Now suddenly and without warning it has become mandatory for individuals to identify their names, locations, emails and phone numbers. Could we be told what the collection of this information is to be used for, and by whom?
“Furthermore, can we be assured that the use of any data collected in this way would fully comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, which is for the regulation of the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information?”
