We have a contract recruiter and her job is only to find talent when asked and she recently reported to a senior director that she came across an employee’s resume and now management is “concerned,” which as part of management I am not and find this situation very disturbing.   Is it ethical for this recruiter to even be sharing that information with senior management? Isn’t it a person’s right to explore opportunities without their current role being in jeopardy? We have no idea if the employee is actively looking and even if she is, shouldn’t it be her right to do so until she notifies the company.  To give specific context, the recruiter contacted another director in the company to say she “came across an employee’s resume and wanted to warn us this employee was looking.”  That statement is very presumptuous and vague. That said, even if the employee is looking, that certainly doesn’t mean she is leaving.  

I find the entire context disturbing on many levels and want to know what (and if there) are legal parameters, should the recruiter even be doing this since we have no context and now it puts the employee (unfairly) in question.   We are in the UK and all insight is appreciated as I find this recruiter’s behavior extremely out of line and sets a bad precedent if we allow the recruiter to be essentially a gossip and call into question highly regarded employees.  

Thank you for any advice.