Posted by Marie on 11/21/05

More | Report Post

I am not sure that my HR person at work is instructing me
correctly. I have an intestinal disease that I dont like
to talk about and rarely do. I told my boss about it when
I was hired becasue I felt she needed to know. She was
aware of it as she had a past employee with this disease
and her husband is an internal medicine specialist. Once
at a luncheon (approx 8 months ago) with co-workers a
comment was made on what I was eating. I said it doesnt
matter what I eat it all goes right through me anyway. No
one asked any questions and I didnt say more. In the last
4 weeks anytime that I was out or someone didnt see me
they would bring up my illness. I had a conversation with
my boss and her bosses admin that I do not want my illness
talked about anymore. I dont want people to ask me how I
am feeling. It is personal. I recently had a flare and
let my boss know what was happening. I work from home one
day a week and that is when I went to the doc for a
procedure to help my flare up. The only one that knew
about this was my boss. At another employee lunch I was
asked "How is your stomach, I heard it was bad". I was
upset that the information was shared. Apparently my boss
told her bosses admin as an FYI and it was spread from
there. I dont like to talk about my illness so I reacted
poorly. I apologized later for my reaction but asked them
not to talk about it again. Within an hour I received a
call from the Seniors admin saying that I had talked about
my illness in the past and put the blame another person
who did not tell anyone. I didnt care I just wanted it to
stop. I dont know what part of no these people dont
understand. My hr generalist told me that because I
shared this information in the past people are going to
talk about it and ask me how I am feeling. There is
nothing I can do about it. She said I am trying to
control something that I cant and in a week I will feel
better. I feel violated. I dont want to make problems
but I dont feel it is going to stop. I am not embarressed
of my disease. I have had it for over 15 years but I just
dont want to discuss it especially over lunch.

Do they have a right to talk about it anytime and continue
to ask me how I am feeling even though I have told them
several times I dont want to talk about it anymore?

Re: Hippa Violation?, 11/22/05, by Law Student Not Lawyer.

Privacy Law Chatboard

LATEST POSTS | BY TOPICS | SUBMIT A POST