Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that my manager shouldn't be telling my colleagues this?

155 replies

gthyjuyhtrew · 25/03/2022 15:28

I tested positive for COVID so couldn't go into the office for a meeting. I messaged my manager to let her know. I didn't tell anyone else the specific reason, I just said I was unwell.

A colleague then brought up that I had had COVID. The only way they would have known is if my manager had told him.

I don't really care and it was never a secret. I'm quite new to the company too for context. I guess it's just made me second guess what I can tell my manager.

(Also I hadn't been to the office for 2+ weeks when I tested positive so it's not like my colleagues needed to know they had been in contact with me)

OP posts:
elephantmarchingin · 25/03/2022 15:40

We do as standard in our company. Mostly because it normally involves WFH instead of going in and also because we tend to do a get well soon care and flowers type thing.

Think you are overreacting to be honest

SVRT19674 · 25/03/2022 15:43

My office keeps it secret secret hush hush, but we all know really. I didn´t when I got it. Told everyone, and told my manager she could tell who she liked. Covid to me is different to other stuff, which I would consider private.

TeeBee · 25/03/2022 15:44

I don't see the big deal. Would you mind if a colleague had said 'oh, she's off with a cold'?
Some people are weirdly secretive about catching COVID. I have a couple of friends who made a big deal out of not mentioning to people when they'd caught it.

luckylavender · 25/03/2022 15:44

@elephantmarchingin

We do as standard in our company. Mostly because it normally involves WFH instead of going in and also because we tend to do a get well soon care and flowers type thing.

Think you are overreacting to be honest

That's a complete GDPR breach though
girlmom21 · 25/03/2022 15:48

@luckylavender how on Earth is that a GDPR breach 😂😂😂

AgentJohnson · 25/03/2022 15:50

The only way they would have known is if my manager had told him.

Or they made an assumption in a time when nearly everybody has tested for Corona.

Poppiesway1 · 25/03/2022 15:53

@girlmom21 If OP did not want her medical issues shared that is up to her. This is a breach of confidentiality maybe not GDPR but still a breach.
We’ve recently had an issue where staff ring in to a sick line and leave a message as to why they were off.. the secretary who was accessing this was telling others why staff were off. A staff member complained and the a new system is in place. Unless the staff member themselves told someone then it is not up to the manager to be telling people no matter how trivial to others it may be.

Makeitsoso · 25/03/2022 15:56

@elephantmarchingin

We do as standard in our company. Mostly because it normally involves WFH instead of going in and also because we tend to do a get well soon care and flowers type thing.

Think you are overreacting to be honest

Same here. Very normal. Personal medical information like mental health or pregnancy wouldn’t be shared at all but cold or virus like covid would be. It’s not a big deal.
girlmom21 · 25/03/2022 15:57

@Poppiesway1 saying "she's off sick" or "she's off with covid" is fairly standard. I'd understand if it was a sensitive reason that she was off but I don't see the issue here.

However, I was laughing at the constant leap to 'GDPR breach' that inevitably happens on these threads, where GDPR is completely irrelevant.

ThinWomansBrain · 25/03/2022 15:57

GDPR - an individual's medical information is private
I was quite open about it when I had it - but were quite a few people away for long periods of time & no explanation to the rest of the team.

KitKattaktik · 25/03/2022 15:58

Years ago my manager told my colleagues that I was pregnant and making a fuss about a bit of morning sickness.

I was in hospital suffering with HG.

luckylavender · 25/03/2022 15:59

[quote girlmom21]@luckylavender how on Earth is that a GDPR breach 😂😂😂[/quote]
In any company, no manager should tell other members of staff ANY sickness reason. If the employee tells colleagues it's fine. Very basic stuff, nothing to do with COVID.

Sharrowgirl · 25/03/2022 15:59

I suppose it’s technically private medical information

girlmom21 · 25/03/2022 16:00

@luckylavender that doesn't make it a GDPR breach.

BananaPlants · 25/03/2022 16:02

@girlmom21 - It is a GDPR breach because because health information is sensitive personal data. It should not be shared without consent. Why is that funny?

luckylavender · 25/03/2022 16:03

@Sharrowgirl

I suppose it’s technically private medical information
Of course it is. And for those who say they wouldn't be told if it was serious - news alert, you'd know it was serious in a culture where you were told about the other stuff.
Verv · 25/03/2022 16:03

I can see why a Covid distinction had been made, if anyone you worked with had been in close contact it might prompt them to test?
Thats the only circumstance where Id consider it fine to share, .

TheNameOfTheRoses · 25/03/2022 16:04

Covid or not, it’s a private medical information that should never be shared with other people in the company. Just like I would want it share that I’m off for IVF, period pain or the flu.

So I can see where the OP is coming from. What is to say that her manager isn’t going to share other personal information because in HER opinion, it doesn’t matter?

girlmom21 · 25/03/2022 16:05

[quote BananaPlants]@girlmom21 - It is a GDPR breach because because health information is sensitive personal data. It should not be shared without consent. Why is that funny?[/quote]
Where's it stored that means the company have breached GDPR?

The company won't have it logged as covid - they'll have it logged as sickness.

If they'd shared OP's sick note - yeah fine. That's personal data.

Saying "oh yeah she's got covid" is not.

BananaPlants · 25/03/2022 16:05

Even if you had been a close contact and others needed to test, they should only be told that they had been on contact with someone. Depending on size of and type of company, it might be really obvious who it was but management still shouldn’t be telling people.

BananaPlants · 25/03/2022 16:06

@girlmom21 - That is your interpretation of how you think GDPR should work. You are wrong. I hope you don’t work in HR Grin

TheNameOfTheRoses · 25/03/2022 16:06

@Verv

I can see why a Covid distinction had been made, if anyone you worked with had been in close contact it might prompt them to test? Thats the only circumstance where Id consider it fine to share, .
The problem is
  • if you test positive, you are now supposed to go to work unless really ill in which you’ll get statutory sickness pay after 3 days.
  • In 6 days time, there will be no free LTF or PCR test available (unless over 65yo etc…). The ‘you might want to test if you are a contact’ is dead in the water.
  • even if it was about contact tracing etc… then it should be a company policy and the OP should have been aware if that.
TheNameOfTheRoses · 25/03/2022 16:09

@girlmom21 you mean it’s ok for a manager to tell anyone and everyone why one member if team off?!?
Regardless of the reason?
Or is that just for covid you think it’s ok to let everyone know?

lljkk · 25/03/2022 16:09

I dunno, were people insisting the info is private in "the old days" (old normal) if your colleagues knew you had flu, influenza or shingles?

Probably yabu

lljkk · 25/03/2022 16:09

oops, mean noro, flu, shingles...