Source: Privacy Commissioner
A man resigned from his job and attended a job interview during his notice period. He specifically told the interview panel that he did not want them to contact his current employer. He subsequently learned that a woman from the interview panel had had a discussion with his manager shortly after the interview. The man complained to us that there had been a disclosure of information in breach of principle 11 of the Privacy Act. Principle 11 provides that an agency that holds personal information shall not disclose the information unless the agency believes, on reasonable grounds, that one of the exceptions applies. The company advised us that the woman from the interview panel had a close friendship with the complainants manager and that she had simply mentioned that she had met the complainant.
