If the OP is the only other person who knows, and the friend tries to inquire about the letter he received, it will be obvious where the breach of confidentiality was.

Send him an email, from a new email account, at a public library or something. Sending a letter works well too but that might take a few days to reach his house. Don't know how time sensitive your situation is. Good luck. All the best to your friend OP.

I get the idea of sending something anonymously, but what is it supposed to say? "You're getting fired." If I got an anonymous letter telling me that my job was in jeopardy I'd think someone was playing a prank. If I got an email I'd attribute it to spam. I think OP should just hardcore discourage the friend from getting the apt and maybe casually ask if the friend has a backup plan/savings in case they lose their job.

I'm not sure why they're even keeping it confidential. Situations like this are why it shouldn't be kept confidential. Some people rely on their jobs and live paycheck to paycheck.

I agree. In fact, if it was my best friend, I wouldn't hesitate to immediately tell him in person. Nobody's going to find out I told him anything because he won't do anything other than back out of the apartment fiasco and start looking for a new job. Plus, if he was quitting, they'd expect a 2-weeks notice but they'd never show him the same courtesy.

Agreed. It's not a fun situation by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't know why everyone's acting like there's nothing OP can do. It's not a random acquaintance, it's OP's best friend. Surely OP can explain why they need to tell them, but why it must be kept secret otherwise. I'm sure the friend would understand. If it was the other way round I'd be SO grateful I wasn't about to completely **** myself financially. I certainly wouldn't be impressed if I signed a contract, got fired and then found out my 'best friend' knew all along.

I agree. Just tell your friend OP, so they can prepare, but tell them to keep it a secret between you two. I'm pretty sure they'd be grateful for the warning, and there's nothing in it for them if they tell on you, so they probably wouldn't.

Confidentially or not, they LEGALLY can't say anything. If OP were to say anything, their friend wouldn't be the only one losing their job and OP would also likely be sued, on top of it. You'd rather them both be jobless? If that happened, then OP wouldn't even be able to help their friend at all. I'm not saying OP should do nothing but those saying they should tell their friend are giving very bad advice. Instead of warning them about being fired, they should try to talk them out of getting this new apartment. Additionally, they'd (probably) be able to apply for unemployment as well as get a severance check. If OP were to tell their friend, they'd likely not be able to apply for unemployment or get a severance check since they would have breached the contract. In fact, it's actually possible that OP could get in trouble for telling us, even if it's anonymous - you CAN track an IP address, you know.

#103, my computer-whiz friend, very nicely, tried tracking an IP for me when someone (who knew me personally and was from our town) was harassing me online anonymously; after I told her I didn't care, she still tried to figure out their IP. It turns out it's a difficult, costly and time consuming process. Unless the CEO of the place literally hires someone to trawl through the web all day and GUESSES who or who not may be an employee of their firm, talking about confidential information (on a site like FML) and then spend a long time to check the IP to find it was written on a public computer or someone else completely in a different part of the world and all that resource is then wasted. The only way the company would know, essentially, is if the OP wrote the FML on their WiFi network at work, which I imagine they wouldn't because I know some companies (my Secondary School even did it, when we weren't supposed to know the WiFi code and the Principle wanted proof) who check the logs of what device was on the WiFi network and what sites they visited. I think the OP is safe...

103 I think you somewhat missed the point there. So it's illegal, why does that matter if OP's friend agree to keep it a secret that OP told them? How can an employee sack OP if they don't know that they broke the rules?

Please. I tell you a secret and if you make it public I'll just deny I spoke to you. Now if someone tries to fire me based on hearsay then I'll see them in court

A game of Clue will now ensue between our fellow commenters to find out who among us is the bad friend. Because you sure as hell aren't talking about the OP, right? That would be asinine.

colonel mustard

Hi so hate m8 ? #9

No, just pointing out how dumb you are. OP clearly gave a reason he can't advise his friend and needing to keep a job does not make one a bad friend.

Greetings but love sk8er ! #51 …I think.

I agree with you, 5. everyone who says OP isn't a bad friend are probably bad friends themselves. OP doesn't have to announce that they broke confidentiality to the whole world--WTF? they're best friends! OP can take their friend aside outside of work, privately and say "hey bro, I heard you're gonna get fired and for obvious reasons it can't come back that I was the one that said so; I think you should rethink that apartment. sorry..." bunch of non-friend-helping bastards, the lot of you.

#100 outside of work or not, it would still breach confidentially and OP could still be fired as well as sued. If a friend wants you to risk your job at the expense of theirs, then guess who's the bad friend?

#55 i can clearly see who is the dumb one. #100 said what i was going to say. #60 nice selfie and intelligence bro. Kappa

Are you really that stupid #5. You're just a troll right?

Finally someone gets it #112 ( you are the stupid one btw, consider being polite and not bringing shame to your parents )

Dumb af aren't u #5. If the Friend being fired was a true friend he wouldn't risk his best friends job just because he is getting fired. When the other Friend loses his job then the good friend with a job will help him out probably by letting him stay at his house until he finds new job

it's you

Whats not to get? OP's friend is getting fired and doesn't know it yet. OP knows and can't tell him because he will be fired too.

Sacked is another word for fired. That might clear it up.

On the contrary, this one of the most meaningful, profound FMLs I have come across in a long time .