How much does your Employer really know about you?
Before you are hired, you fill out an Employment Application and get to tell a bit about yourself. It may get a bit person asking you if you’ve ever been convicted of a felony; if you have a valid driver’s license; as well as your race.
Once employed, things happen. You may have surgery for medical reasons; need time off to care for a loved one; or just simply need a day off (aka mental health day). But how much do you actually tell your Employer? Do you go into great detail about your situation?
Personally, I believe the choice is yours. If you feel comfortable confiding in your Employer, by all means, do so. However not all Employers have a “closed lip” policy or if they do, not all employees abide by the policy.
CONFIDENTIALITY AND THE WORKPLACE
Situation #1 – Jane Doe
For instance, Jane Doe is having marital issues and has been battling depression. The situation has caused her to missed several days of work over a period of time due to her not being able to cope with her situation. On one hand, Jane has sick time available from her employer and uses it. On the other hand, she is worried that she may be asked down the road why so many sick days were used.
What should Jane do if asked?
Again, it’s totally up to Jane’s discretion however before telling her situation she has to think:
- How comfortable am I telling my Employer my situation?
- Will my Employer’s Human Resources Department keep my information Confidential?
- Should I consult my treating Physician before complying to my Employer’s request?
If I was Jane, I would definitely consult with my Physician first. He/She may be able to give you a Patient Medical History in a professional manner and one that doesn’t make Jane look absolutely insane. Secondly, I trust no one. How does Jane feel? Does she trust that her Employer’s Human Resources Department will keep her information CONFIDENTIAL and not spread her news around the workplace?
Situation #2 – John Doe
John just found out he will need to be out of work for about two (2) weeks due to a very intimate issue pertaining to his “man junk”. Surgery is required. However, due to the intimate nature of this surgery, John is not comfortable in telling his employer due to:
- His Employer making jokes behind his back about the nature of the surgery.
- His Employer does not have a good record of keeping employee information Confidential.
What is John to do?
- John does not have enough sick time accrued to be out for two (2) weeks.
- John does not have enough vacation time accrued to complete the remainder of time needed.
- John is in a bad situation.
If I were John and I had a good relationship with my Supervisor, I would gently discuss the situation with Him/Her and see what his options are. Sadly enough, it looks like John is going to have to tell him Employer the situation and just grin and bear the consequences. Now if it ends up being a harassment issue after the fact, then steps can be taken against his employer.
Sad to say, again, John is in a bad situation.
Over to You
Have you ever been in the situation where you needed help by your Employer but did not trust them to keep your information CONFIDENTIAL? And if so, how did you handle it?
“Feature Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.
