This reply is a bit after the fact, I know...

I have many hispanic friends, and I love them.  I do not appreciate, however, illegal residents protesting in the streets about their "rights", and waving Mexican flags.  If Mexico is so great, why are you here?  I understand that no one should be mistreated, but I'm sorry, if you are here illegally, you don't have "rights."  You have basic human rights, yes, but not "rights" to federal aid, "rights"
to employment, "rights" to public education.  You are strapping a system that is already strained to the max.  Your "rights" are back in your own country where you are a citizen, and if you don't have any there, what makes you think you deserve them here?  And this whole bit about how illegal residents "pay taxes too"--GIVE ME A BREAK.  The only way an illegal resident is paying employment-related taxes is if he/she has a BOGUS social security number and other bogus documents.  Hmmm...I thought that was also ILLEGAL.  And if you talking about sales tax, so what?  You're here, you buy stuff, you pay taxes.  That is no basis to  guarantee that you get "rights."

It is downright offensive to see illegal residents on TV protesting in the streets trying to FORCE the United States to give them "rights."  GO HOME and protest Vicente Fox.  Or, do it the correct way and enter the country legally.  

Rr

I'd have to say pens too.  I am very particular about my pens, I absolutely refuse to use ballpoints unless I am making carbon copies.  But of course, even when I use ballpoints, they have to be the ones I can tolerate.  I bought my favorite pens when I first started here, and my boss took one look and said "I'm not going to be buying you 'special' pens or anything like that."  I told him I didn't expect him too.  But he is the same way about his pens.  He never uses the company logo pens.  Its always got to be the liquid roller ball or the gel pen with the reflective blue top or whatever.  He will honestly spend 30 minutes to an hour looking for a particular pen before he will sign a document with another one.  

So, I don't touch his pens, he doesn't touch mine.  There's only three people in this office, so I guess I kind of have it good...

Rr

Since she IS leaving, you might consider writing her a note or email explaining your feelings on the matter and BCC human resources or whichever department you feel is the most relevant.  She's retiring, so she can at least take it with her that her actions are undesireable and harmful, and it will alert HR that other employees (such as yourself) believe the sharing of such information to be inappropriate.  

You could also just put on your boxing gloves and get ready to battle the other applicants with all the professional skills and qualities you have in your arsenal.  We live in a competitive world, for sure, and sometimes the competitions just end up right in our faces.

Best of luck!

Rr

I guess I didn't realize that "this was [ONLY] a place for support, not condemnation."  I thought this was a place for open communication.  If one is not interested in hearing opposite of what they want to hear, then why post it on a public internet board?  You have your opinion, I have mine, and I thought that I had just as much right to post mine as you to post yours, no?

I suppose I am surprised that anyone is surprised to find out that techies or whoever are reading "confidential" emails.  Is that not what "monitoring" email means?  I EXPECT someone other than myself and the addressee in my company to read some of my emails.  Marking it "confidential" could be a ploy to keep it from being read, and that does not work in my company.  Any random email can be opened and read at any random time.  Otherwise, monitoring is pretty ineffective, no?  Now, calling up friends and running your mouth about it is, of course, unethical, but it happens.  I guess I don't see the point of getting all upset about it and causing a stink over something that probably happens all the time behind the scenes anyway.  

Ah, it sounds more like being laid off.  Too many people doing the same thing...  Sorry to hear about it...

It is good to see that everyone has offered you some words of encouragement.  Now let's take a look at the flip side.  It sounds to me like the whole system is the primary problem.  Information that is THAT confidential, simply put, should NOT be email in the first place.  And what exactly does "monitor" email mean in your company?

Perhaps I am a bit of a bleeding-heart humanist, but I try not to rat out people and get them into trouble, even if they have done something incorrect and opened their idiot mouths about it to me.  (Because everyone does something stupid at some point in their lives.)  That girl might get fired; maybe that would make you feel better in the long run?  You could have just as easily informed the bookkeeper to not forward the email without the extra info that it had been opened, and not within earshot of your boss.  That reads to be a very-much-on-purpose action on your part just to get the door open so you could rat the tech girl out.  You could have just as easily emailed the bookkeeper with that info.  

Now you come onto DeskDemon to find supporters because you question your own actions--could it be that you yourself have considered that perhaps you could have handled the situation differently?  Hmmm...

So, that is just how it reads to me, and this is probably what the techie girl will be thinking about it as well.  She made a mistake.  Too bad for her she informed you, of all people, about it.

Rr

I am in the US, so I must apologize for sounding ignorant, but what is "redundancy?"

Rr

-Luv Billy Idol--it could have been worse.    

Rr

What your company is doing is protecting themselves from SOME liability.  Not all, but some, and it is within their rights to do that.  If you are not, therefore, required to use your own vehicle to run errands for the company, then you probably shouldn't.  Besides, how much gas are you using running errands for them?  Are they at least paying you mileage?  Let them run their own errands!

Rr

WOW, I never knew the Windows key had that particular function!  Thanks for the info.  Privacy hounds such as myself can really use this function.

Rr

Yes, privacy filters also cut down on glare from your screen.  I know exactly how you feel.  I HATE it when people can see my screen.  It doesn't matter what I'm doing, I just feel like they should go away unless invited.  

The other thing I'm thinking of is that this manager dropping in all day long has got to be a major DISTRACTION to you getting your work done in any kind of a timely fashion.  Perhaps you should simply request that they not drop by so often because it holds you up from getting your work done.  Can't he/she call you or instant message you or something?  Sheesh!

Rr

Yeah, I REALLY hate it when letters pop up (oh so slowly) one at a time in a PowerPoint presentation.  Its very "youthful."  Not very professional.  

Rr

But what are you going to do to help foster a secure environment in which employees feel that they can come to you (or whomever it is they are supposed to go to) without feeling as if they are risking their jobs?  I thought that was your major concern, as you were speaking about this CEO's behavior causing people to feel nervous (her coming into your office immediately after am employee meeting, etc.)  

Rr

My boss is a Brit, so I get Boxing Day off just because he closes the office that day.  I get the 23rd off for my paid Christmas holiday, but I don't think he is paying me for Boxing Day.  But I'd rather be at home with my kid anyway, so its ok.  Then we also get Jan 2nd off for hangover recovery.  

I asked him what Boxing Day was, and he said that frankly he doesn't know anymore about it than the rest of the world does.  He gave me the explanation that his American wife found on the internet.  Something about poor servants/employees who got to bring their empty boxes to work the day after Christmas, and the bosses would give them all the left over goodies to take home.  But you will find a few other explanations of what it is online for sure.

When I was working for a major university here in town, I used to get the whole week from Christmas Eve to New Years day off from work as a PAID holiday.  That was one of the best employee benefits ever!

Rr

It seems to me that you have already fully identified the problem, as well as some methods of dealing with it.  The HR Manager is DEFINITELY the person who employees are supposed to be able to come to when they are having issues and problems on the job, even if it is with the CEO.  She is 100% wrong to come into your office and 3rd degree you immediately after a meeting with another employee.  She knows what kind of impression she is making.  It seems to me that she is doing these things on purpose, because I doubt that she became CEO by being a complete idiot.  She knows exactly what she is doing.  Is it possible for you to lock your office door after a meeting for a while and not answer your phone if you know she is calling?  If she asks, explain to her that you are wrapping up your notes or whatever and you prefer not to be disturbed immediately after a meeting.

You should also document everything, and lock the files if you need to.  Issue a memo regarding the mission of the Human Resources office to everyone and state explicitly that all information will be kept confidential.  Do you have a copy of any kind of Human Resources policy (i.e. in an employee handbook) that explains how to deal with this type of thing?  Include that in your memo.  

Next, is there anyone that you and/or employees can contact outside of your office (i.e. Corporate Headquarters), to go around this CEO?

I'm sorry to say it, but it looks like you will eventually get fired yourself sooner or later.  This CEO seems as if she is doing everything she can to make things difficult for everyone so she can get rid of everyone and start over from scratch with a hand-picked staff of cow-tow-ers and rear end kissers.  Sorry.  Makes for a very negative work environment, I know.

Rr