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

[gthyjuyhtrew]

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)

YANBU and your manager should not discuss medical/health matters or reason for absence with anyone else unless you have given them permission or you tell them.

This has always been standard practice everywhere I have worked.

How does everyone think contact tracing worked!!

@Iamthewombat

Because she's doubting if she can trust her new Manager with other infectious rmstion [information]

The OP didn’t say to her manager, “you must take this secret to your grave. I have tested positive for Covid”.

She shouldn't have to.

@elephantmarchingin

How does everyone think contact tracing worked!!

That's hilarious - that was completely confidential!

The data was collected in line with legal & regulatory codes.

The close contacts did not know who had tested positive, only that they were close contacts.

If a person chooses to tell someone they have Covid, that's different.

@EarringsandLipstick so you are in a team of 6 - your company manager tells you, you need to test as you've been a close contact of someone with covid. Then Jane in the office is mysteriously working from home for 10 days when WFH is normally not allowed.... hmm I wonder who the close contact is!

From the ICO Employment Practices Code

2.3.3 Only disclose information from sickness or injury records
about an identifiable worker’s illness, medical condition or injury
where there is a legal obligation to do so, where it is necessary for
legal proceedings or where the worker has given explicit consent to
the disclosure.

2.3.4 Do not make the sickness, injury or absence records of
individual workers available to other workers unless it is necessary
for them to do their jobs.
Key points and possible actions
• Managers can be provided with information about those who
work for them in so far as this is necessary for them to carry
out their managerial roles.
• No ‘league tables’ of individual records should be published.
• Ensure that managers are aware of the sensitive nature of
sickness and injury records.

@StPaulandTheBrokenBones but they've made no disclosure from OP's employee records. There's no data breach because the data has never been recorded.

[quote elephantmarchingin]@EarringsandLipstick so you are in a team of 6 - your company manager tells you, you need to test as you've been a close contact of someone with covid. Then Jane in the office is mysteriously working from home for 10 days when WFH is normally not allowed.... hmm I wonder who the close contact is! [/quote]
Firstly, that's not how contact tracing works. C'mon it's not been that long ago.

You would have been contacted by the contact tracing team (I'm in Ireland, different names than UK) at a national level, not your boss

And if you did deduce that someone was out, so what? No one told you anything, you're guessing.

I can't believe you can't see the difference.

I work in a GP surgery.
There is no secrecy about staff members being off with Covid. I don’t think it’s anything anyone is bothered about colleagues knowing tbh because we are all so curious about how ill/well people are with it.

But, YANBU that managers shouldn’t be discussing anyones health information, regardless of what issue it is.

[quote girlmom21]@StPaulandTheBrokenBones but they've made no disclosure from OP's employee records. There's no data breach because the data has never been recorded. [/quote]
It's about privacy regarding personal information. I agree it's not a data breach.

Very unprofessional of him. It's confidential information that shouldn't be shared.

@EarringsandLipstick Urm yes it is. Obviously you haven't worked in a big company/school environment. Companies were responsible for contract tracing especially schools. It was passed onto NHS but we had to contract trace

Our manager tells everyone whenever anyone is off with covid do that we can all be more aware of any symptoms and test more regularly. Personally I think you are overreacting.

Pick your battles

I’m struggling to see the issue tbh.

@EarringsandLipstick sorry but contact tracing at national level has folded a really long time ago.

People do not have to stay t home if they have covid anyway so there is no need for contact tracing unless you WANT to do it. And no company will because in less than 1 week there will be no testing available either. Unless you want to pay for your own LTF etc… (about £2 each. As far as I know even HCP in the NHS would have to pay for their own LFT….)

Another perspective OP: you say you're quite new to the company. It might well be that a colleague has said "oh god she's not gonna be another Tracy is she and phone in sick every Friday because she's got a hangover" and your boss said "no it's not her fault - it's covid" to defend your reputation

@BlueOverYellow

Considering how contagious it is and how it has shut down the world periodically, I think it's reasonable to share the information with people who may have been a close contact.

You should have done this anyway!

This

My manager told my whole team I was off due to having a miscarriage. No need to as it was early on and none of them knew I was pregnant.
So others knowing I had Covid wouldn't bother me. I suppose if it happens again you could ask your manager to keep it quiet.

But it's Covid so saying you were off with that explains alot and stops lots of other questions. No different to saying you were off witha cold but by mentioning covid then they know you're not in for the next 7 days (or so).

I don't want my health information to be shared at work, regardless of whether it's covid or a gynaecological issue.
If I want people to know I will tell them.

[quote girlmom21]@luckylavender how on Earth is that a GDPR breach 😂😂😂[/quote]
It’s MN EVERYTHING is a GDPR breach 😂

I would be furious. It doesn’t matter what the reason is, your medical details are private and not to be disclosed unless you choose to.

@StPaulandTheBrokenBones

From the ICO Employment Practices Code

2.3.3 Only disclose information from sickness or injury records
about an identifiable worker’s illness, medical condition or injury
where there is a legal obligation to do so, where it is necessary for
legal proceedings or where the worker has given explicit consent to
the disclosure.

2.3.4 Do not make the sickness, injury or absence records of
individual workers available to other workers unless it is necessary
for them to do their jobs.
Key points and possible actions
• Managers can be provided with information about those who
work for them in so far as this is necessary for them to carry
out their managerial roles.
• No ‘league tables’ of individual records should be published.
• Ensure that managers are aware of the sensitive nature of
sickness and injury records.

The key word there being, ‘Records’.

@bookbuddy

Gdpr is irrelevant unless the manager leaked personnel records on a Computer. Confidentiality is more relevant in this case (depending on company policy).

Nope its a "record". Old fashioned paper and crayon or electronic file or stone carving or other written medium. So a scrap of paper on a desk that should at some time in the future be stuck in a filing cabinet is covered. Because the GDPR authors knew that someone somewhere would claim that the file they were keeping which was detrimental to the data subject (normally an employee) was a dear diary entry not a chronological snapshot of the data subject and specific events