Time off work and confidentiality

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:49

So, this just happened:

Quote:

It is important that the Company is aware where everyone is during the working day, which includes medical appointments, both for dentists and doctors.

As of this year when you record your time out with [employee] you also need to give details of the time and location of your appointment, in advance so that we know where everyone is during work time, as you would if you were going to a business appointment. If you feel that you wish to keep this confidential then you will need to book in holiday time.

Emphasis mine.

Basically, if I need to go for, say, PTSD counselling I need to say when and where this will be. That can't be legal, right?

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

Can you book in holiday time, but then revoke it after the event? That is how I'd be able to get away with it here.

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:52

Riles wrote:

Can you book in holiday time, but then revoke it after the event?

Well, only if you were at work.

MaliA · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:54

"I'm going to the doctor's on 54 Acacia Avenue"

Zardoz · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:54

Can't you lie?

By that I mean go to your appointment for genital warts removal but say you're at the Dentists.

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

Grim... wrote:

Riles wrote:

Can you book in holiday time, but then revoke it after the event?

Well, only if you were at work.

See, we 'book' holidays but the only record used retrospectively is timesheets. So if that happened at my place, you'd book holiday for privacy, then record retrospectively as a medical appointment. Chances of anyone asking what the previous appointment was for are slim to none.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10173

Grim... wrote:

So, this just happened:

Quote:

It is important that the Company is aware where everyone is during the working day, which includes medical appointments, both for dentists and doctors.

As of this year when you record your time out with [employee] you also need to give details of the time and location of your appointment, in advance so that we know where everyone is during work time, as you would if you were going to a business appointment. If you feel that you wish to keep this confidential then you will need to book in holiday time.

Emphasis mine.

Basically, if I need to go for, say, PTSD counselling I need to say when and where this will be. That can't be legal, right?

I don't think so - your employer has no right to demand knowledge of your medical history, and this would pretty effectively circumvent that.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:55

Just book it as 'doctor appointment'. Obviously SOMEONE in maangement has to know where you are and what you're doing, but as long as they do, that should be fine, I'd have thought.

It doesn't sound too unreasonable to me. If I had to book time off for counselling, etc, I'd have to get it okayed by my manager, and it'd have to go on the absence system. It wouldn't be disseminated to everyone in the office though.

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 12:56

MaliA wrote:

"I'm going to the doctor's on 54 Acacia Avenue"

Do you mean 22?

@Curio: Oh yeah, I'd tell my boss, but the way we do business appointments is to put them on the global company calendar. So where you are and for how long will be available to everyone with a computer.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10173

The alternative is to go into gruesome, made-up, detail to the point where you get asked to be brief.

Edit: Global availability? The Data Protection Commissioner is feeling a twitch in the Force right now.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

Zardoz wrote:

Can't you lie?

By that I mean go to your appointment for genital warts removal but say you're at the Dentists.

Presumably they want to know when and where you are because if they suspect you are not telling the truth, they can check.

Which is pretty fucking atrocious.

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 13:00

LewieP wrote:

Presumably they want to know when and where you are because if they suspect you are not telling the truth, they can check.

Well, no - your manager already knows and can check if he likes (although I'd be surprised if they'd get conformation of who has an appointment from any medical place). This is for... Well, I don't know really.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 13:02

Take your manager with you.

He can hold the cup while you jizz in it.

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 13:09

Do you know, I've had a good hunt around and it appears that there are no rules regarding privacy about this sort of thing.
Goodness.

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Time off work and confidentiality

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