Each year my employer conducts an "Employee Opinion Survey" where we are asked to answer several questions and make comments about our direct manager. Participation is required. We are told that the survey is anonymous and to answer the questions honestly.
Even though the survey is anonymous the first information we are asked to enter is our employee ID number. The survey is administered by a third party and we are told the only reason they need to ID number is so they can correctly categorize the employees and match them up to their supervisor.
Now, we aren't stupid, we know they could use that information but one would hope the outside company would strip the identifying employee numbers before giving the results back to the company in order to make the survey "anonymous" as advertised.
I was recently told, by a Director for the company, that they got the identifying information and used it to know who the "troublemakers" are.
Would this be legally considered fraudulent? Would it be legally actionable?
If it is illegal and I reported it would I be protected under whistleblower laws?
Thanks very much for your input.
Even though the survey is anonymous the first information we are asked to enter is our employee ID number. The survey is administered by a third party and we are told the only reason they need to ID number is so they can correctly categorize the employees and match them up to their supervisor.
Now, we aren't stupid, we know they could use that information but one would hope the outside company would strip the identifying employee numbers before giving the results back to the company in order to make the survey "anonymous" as advertised.
I was recently told, by a Director for the company, that they got the identifying information and used it to know who the "troublemakers" are.
Would this be legally considered fraudulent? Would it be legally actionable?
If it is illegal and I reported it would I be protected under whistleblower laws?
Thanks very much for your input.
