Former Employer Giving Out My Phone Number

[Gator62]

My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: OH
My former employer has given out my phone number without my knowledge. I am getting phone calls from law firms, and other people I have never heard of. Is this legal for her to do? If they are calling my former place of employment, shouldn't she just say I don't work there anymore?

[Mr. Knowitall]

They are calling your former workplace looking for you, and your employer is passing along your phone number such that they can reach you? These are personal calls to you that were not related to your former employment?

[Gator62]

Yes they are calling at my former place of employment. They have nothing to do with work whatsoever. They are not asking for references or anything else. She is giving out my personal information to people I do not know. Is this legal, and how do I stop this?

[cbg]

Your phone number is a public record. It is not private or confidential under the law. There is nothing illegal about your employer giving it out. You stop it by returning the phone calls.

[Mr. Knowitall]

It sounds like the origin of the problem was that you were taking personal calls at work, or perhaps that you put your work number down on credit applications and have since fallen behind on payments, such that your personal calls are still being placed to your former employer. Most employers don't like employees to take personal calls at work; many, if not most, have policies against it. I expect that your former employer wants you to take care of whatever issues are resulting in the calls so that its phone lines aren't tied up with your personal issues, even after you've moved on.

[Gator62]

I never took personal calls at work. I don't even answer my cell phone at work. This person she gave my number to is the subject of a harassment suit by me, and she knew this. My phone number is not public as I changed it because of this, it is not published, nor is it on any applications. She knew who this person is as I informed her when I gave her my new phone number. It is now going to cost me money to change it again.

[eerelations]

"They" (i.e., "law firms and other firms I have never heard of" and "people I do not know") has now changed to one person, who happens to be a person you're suing...very interesting change of story!

Anyway, there's nothing illegal about your former employer giving out your new phone number to anyone, even if she promised not to, and even if it's to someone you happen to be suing.

If you're so concerned about getting calls from people you don't want to hear from/are hiding from, maybe you shouldn't give out your phone number.