GROUP E-MAIL MEDICAL UPDATES

Ethel

Does anyone have a policy that prohibits an employee broadcasting an e-mail to multiple other employees to let everyone know how Employee X is doing? Until the new HIPPA regs, Personnel was guilty. However, we no longer send out this info. However, other employees are stepping in to provide this info. If Employee X e-mails one person and goes into extreme detail regarding his/her illness and in the e-mail gives recipient permission to broadcast to everyone, is that o.k.?

Sorry to come to the well again so soon, but I got such good into on my other questions, that now when I have doubts or uncertainty, first thing I want to do is check with the HR Forum "Posse"!!!

Parabeagle

I would discourage what you propose. I don't think an e-mail from an employee releasing you to share the information carries the same weight as a signed, informed release on real paper (but then, I'm old fashioned).

We had an employee undergo surgery a few months ago and I specifically asked her, "If anyone inquires about your condition, what do you want me to tell them and what do you not want me to tell them?" After she gave me her answer, I had her sign a consent to that effect which I kept in her medical file.

Rockie

From someone working in a medical faciity and the lengths we are going to be required to go to to protect privacy,I would not issue anything about an employee's medical condition. If they want people to know, they should let the appropriate people know. HIPPA,by the way, does not apply only to Personnel, but the entire organization. You are particularly at risk if you have a self insured medical plan. A signed release (that is HIPPA compliant) not just an email saying it's "okay", would clear you, but who wants to get into that bureaucracy if they don't have to? If the employee is that curious, they can always contact the "patient" directly and leave the company out of the loop.

Don D

If your company allows its employees to chit chat in personal emails, I don't know of a way you can restrict or limit the chit chat. My guess is that the ill employee might email some coworker with the details and the receiver may copy and forward it to a host of friends. Some will disagree, but, I don't see this putting the company at risk. If the employee is posting her medical condition on the internet, it's pretty much broadcast worldwide already. Sounds like you may need to come up with a company policy addressing personal use of the computers if you want to restrict such use.

Whatever

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-20-03 AT 08:50AM (CST)[/font][p]If an employee wants to tell the world about their condition, that is their right. However, with or without written permission, that information should never come from HR. Even before HIPPA, company policy prohibited the release of medical information (except on need to know basis). Everyone knows not to ask HR (among others)about how an employee is doing etc. They will not get an answer. I strongly believe that even if the employee should give written permission, HR has an obligation not to release information.

Ethel

Again, the HR Forum Posse has come through with good advice. The suggestion to get a policy written and circulated (in this case updated)is to be my first step.

Do any of you have any sample verbiage re Medical updates. Although we already have an e-mail policy, our personnel is not relating it to giving medical updates. If an employee e-mails one friend, that friend may then do a "all users" forward. So, I really need some specific verbiage prohibiting medical updates on anyone's behalf...... HELP!

MrCreosote

We use a shared calendar in Outlook to notify everyone when someone will be out of the office. It works well but I have to check it from time to time because employees include too much. Instead of just writing "out" "V" or "leave at 1:30" we get messages like "Susan - Leaves at 2, ear operation."