I certainly didn't need this to happen as I already have enough on my plate and this is really bothering me.

A half hour ago I received a phone call from a government worker that deals with social assistance. This person knows my financial information (they met with me yesterday), and mentioned it over the phone only a few words after I said hello. It wasn't even necessary to state a monetary value AT ALL.

The thing that's extremely disconcerting is they didn't ask if this is a good time (which is commonplace in my experience), and my caregiver heard every word.

My stomach is literally in a not.

Isn't this wrong?

Cam

I still haven't figured out why people can't stand to have their financial information disclosed to others. If that person was going to do you financial harm, I could understand, but to just your average jane/joe I see no harm in this.

At work, people are so careful to not disclose the value of their 401k's. To me, I just don't care. So what, if they know the value of my retirement funds. What does that mean to me?

Without going into any detail, it's a little different for me, Cat.

Certainly, the person should have had better discretion. I'm assuming that you were on a speakerphone, and if this person knows you to any degree, should have asked if that were the case.... and like you said, then ask if this was a good time for the conversation.

There are so many laws in the U.S. regarding privacy, but to be frank, I don't know if ANY of them involve phone conversations once the caller has determined that they're speaking to the right person...

I detest being put on speaker phone. I like it even less when the person calling does not inform me I'm on speaker. Whenever I am called, and I think I'm on speaker, I always ask the caller to pick up the phone. Conversely, when I call someone and I have them on speaker (in the event I need my hands free or someone else is in the room) I always, always start the conversation off with "hey I have you on speaker, and I have #### here with me". It's just common courtesy as far as I'm concerned.

As far as your personal information being discussed without your consent, I agree with you. You personal business is yours, no one else's. If for some reason you feel the need to share that information, then that's your decision. For a government employee to run off at the mouth without your approval, I find that a gross error in judgment. But, and I emphasis the 'but', it is your responsibility to inform the caller that there is an audience and to be discrete with your personal information. That is unless this caller knew that your care giver was there and you had the caller on speaker.

She has talked to me numerous times on the phone and I can only use speakerphone (you know when it's a speakerphone), knows my disability (even saw me in person), and knows I have caregivers in during the day. Heck, it could've been a delivery guy here dropping off a parcel. Even the bank, my therapists et.al. ask if it's a good time to talk, and this is what I think should be confidential stuff.

Honestly, it's just that she mentioned a monetary amount, and there was absolutely no reason to; just call it by it's name (which she did after mentioning the amount). Even though the entire conversation was heard by my caregiver and other financial stuff was mentioned, that doesn't bother me because the asset value wasn't disclosed.

Edit- And immediately after stating it, I told her that she should ask if it's a good time before saying the specific monetary amount of a persons finances. She then apologized, but didn't say "oh, I didn't know you were on speaker".

Once the caller started talking about personal matters couldn't you have told him/her you are on speaker and your caregiver is present and would like to have this phone call confidential? Have him/her give you a sec and then kindly ask your caregiver to give you some privacy while you are on the phone? Or schedule another call at a specific time to discuss this further?

It sounds like she didn't give Cam a chance....

Yeah, the next time she calls, be ready to blast the phone with full volume Axiom speakers playing "one is the loneliest number".

There would have had to be some type of brief greeting I would assume, but I was not there.