Announcing that an employee will be out sick.

vstass · May 2002

I am a new member and I am not sure if this is the correct forum but here goes.
I was advised that a "new" ruling coming out would make it illegal to announce that an employee would be out sick. In fact what I was told is that if in a group meeting you said to an employee, "Glad to see you back to work! How are you feeling?" you would be breaching a confidence. Can anyone advise?

Hatchetman · May 2002

i haven't heard anything like that. I suspect someone may be overly concerned or just projecting the way the concept of confidentiality of personal information, especially medical information, is often described. I doubt that the US Department of Labor, or EEOC, or any state agency (except may be in my state of California) would issue any regulation proscribing such a remark. Of ocurse, the supervisor and manager shouldn't be announcing any particular medical diagnosis of an employee (without agreement from the employee), but that's not what is being described here.

phbair · May 2002

This may seem of small concern in most workplaces, but is an interesting question nonetheless. I myself have advised offices to stop writing "sick" on office public sign-out boards as a reason for an employee's absence. Why? Primarily, because I believe it COULD reveal the existence of a disability, and that would be a breach of employee confidence. For instance, an employee who has a kidney problem might have a regualr dialysis appointment, or a cancer patient a regular appointment for chemotherapy. Other impairments could also require regular and/or frequent time off, as well. Is it really the business of every other employee, much less anyone who walks past a sign-out board, why a particular employee is out of the office?

Hatchetman · May 2002

phbair, you're absolutely right. "Out" and "In." If "Out," "due back" date or time. Would we even think about posting a reson that is employee is out because he is being "arraigned"?

Rockie · May 2002

We have a signout board in our admin area and when someone is out for any reason, we usually just put "Out on Monday", etc. Sometimes people write Doctors appointment, dental appointment, etc.

When management people leave the area, they usually just write "on beeper" which we usually carry with us at all times or we can be reached by cell phone.

There is probably no reason to write "out sick" on a board because it just generates more questions of "what's wrong with so and so" and that's where you get into problems with confidentiality.

Announcing that an employee will be out sick.

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