Harassment Claim (Sharing medical information)

[Broncodude701]

If I was to share a short term medical issue with my supervisor for a reasonable accommodation such as the company dress code. Can my supervisor disclose that information to other co workers? Or make statements regarding the injury in front of non (need to know) employees?

Thank you.

 

[Broncodude701]

Oregon is my state.

 

[cbg]

Just as an FYI, the law does not require your employer to provide accommodations, reasonable or otherwise, for short term situations. That said,

Can my supervisor disclose that information to other co workers? Or make statements regarding the injury in front of non (need to know) employees?

Probably. Information that you yourself disclose to your employer is not protected under HIPAA, and as indicated above, if it's a short term situation the ADA does not apply.

 

[Broncodude701]

Does it make a difference if the injury was personal and embarrassing? Also that the injury has been ongoing for 2 months now? The reasonable accommodation was granted and noticeable to other employees but the nature of my injury wasn't until my supervisor disclosed it in a humiliating form.

Thanks.

 

[cbg]

No, it doesn't make a difference.

It's nice that they provided an accommodation -they didn't have to. And I'm sorry your supervisor embarrassed you. But based on the information we have, he/she did not violate any laws or protected rights.

 

[Broncodude701]

Thank you for the information. My final question is if I had to take time off due to the harassment and received a diagnosis from a doctor implementing my employer at fault, would they owe for medical bills and or any other damages?

Thank you

 

[Broncodude701]

Also once I reported the incident they told me I had no choice but to relocate to another location within the city.

 

[cbg]

The chance that you will be able to provide a medical diagnosis that implicates your employer to the the point that a court would order them to pay your medical bills, outside of a workers comp situation, are between slim and none, and slim just left town.

Without considerably more information about what condition you have that is short term, affects the dress code, but is so humiliating if it is mentioned that you are trying every which way to get me to tell you you can sue your employer, I'm not touching the relocation issue with a ten foot pole.