Employee and employer sick leave situation, help please

[Puffman]

Okay, so my story that i will be having surgery sometime soon. I have a sick leave note from my PS, but instead i got a medical note from my GP, it's for two weeks off...

My dilema; I tried giving my medical note to my boss. He said no problem i just have to give the note to the "Occupational Health" department. I go there and this lady harasses me politely saying that she needs to know exactly why i need two weeks off or they won't grant me two weeks off from work. I tell her it's personal and i'd rather not say and if she needed more info to contact my GP but she said they won't tell her anything so i need to tell her if i'm sick/diagnosis if i have one or/specified surgery. I was angry telling her it's confidential and she doesn't need to know but she kept blabbing about the medical note i have is pointless if the department doesn't approve the note. After 30 minutes of arguing back and forth about confidentiality, i told her the exactly what i was going for... she didn't even know what it was so she wrote it down. She told me she'd have to get back to me if this is a valid reason/ and note for taking two weeks off from work...

What a frustrating day... i was late for work and not allowed cigarrettes (my op is soon enough)..

Can anyone please help me with my employee / employer medical sick leave situation and it's confidentiality breach?

[Paa_Paw]

I do not know where you live. But, generally speaking, Your medical history is none of her business.

You might very politely tell her that she is treading into territory where she has no legal right to be simply by asking too many questions. She has a note from the Dr. and that is all she has a right to know.

[moobius]

I do not know where you live. But, generally speaking, Your medical history is none of her business.

You might very politely tell her that she is treading into territory where she has no legal right to be simply by asking too many questions. She has a note from the Dr. and that is all she has a right to know.

fully agree... except i'd have probably told her: "get bent... here's my note as required, see you in 2 wks"

[Puffman]

appreciate the replies guys, i feel so dumb... i originally wasn't going to say anything but she told me she wasn't going to accept my medical note and not give me 2 weeks off. now i have to deal in the back of my mind that my other co-workers might know im having surgery. i have to see her next week because she told me she has to consult a doctor to see if my sick leave is valid. i knew she had no right to know, i wont tell her anymore... anyways surgery very soon and im psyched...

[docendocrinology]

well per the HIPAA rule she has no right to ask you what medical disease you have.All you needed was a letter from your doctor that you are sick and would be requiring 1-2 weeks off for the related surgery or procedure.
This is crap...she is not the one who decides wheter you need time off or not...its your doctor who decides that.

[michaelmorey]

that woman took a complete liberty with you. once you have been signed off by your doctor,the DETAILS are none of her business..only the legitimacy of the note. how outrageous.am so pissed off for you dude.

[Grandpa Bambu]

What type of work do you do?

Are you salaried or hourly paid. Are you unionized?

GB

[Dr. Cruise]

I agree with the statements above - that she should have never asked for the procedure. I always recommend to my patients who prefer that no one knows what the procedure was for, to tell them you are/have had a benign cyst removed. If the lady decides to tell people that you have had a procedure, it is always an option to use as a cover story.

[Grandpa Bambu]

IMO, an employer's Occupational Health Dept should have the right to know 'why' the employee is taking an 'extended' sick leave. However, the employer's doctor and/or nurse, should be the only ones to know of the why's and wherefore's of your absenteeism. The nurse cannot go blabbing to your boss and/or co-workers about your situation. I highly doubt it would happen anyways.

In my case, I am unionized hourly paid and tried to get paid for 3 weeks off of work that the doc gave approval for through Short-Term-Disability. However, since my procedure was 'Elective', my claim was denied. So.... I took two weeks off (instead of 3) and used up some of my holiday time. 

Get this though.... a co-worker mangled his knee playing soccer (something of his own doing) and got 3 months off (x2...). That's 24 weeks in total, 6 months off fully paid, for surgical recovery... and I? Had G (of which, was no fault of my own) and asked for a measly 3 weeks off for surgical recovery, was denied... Go figure huh?

The world is so retarded at times...

GB