I work frontline with members of the public, around 95% of it wfh. I have always suffered with a myriad of neurological and musculoskeletal problems throughout my life. Recently I have been referred to neurology, with MS being one of many diagnoses. I informed my manager during supervision as I have been open about my health issues since I started. My job suits my needs and limitations well. I am very proactive in ensuring I access all the support I can. During a conversation with a colleague I told her about this referral. She didn't ask many questions, just 'that she was familiar with MS as she had family/friends diagnosed'. I told her that I had already informed our manager. This colleague informed me today by email that she has let my manager know as she is 'duty bound' to ensure my safety. This has really angered me.
I've already told our manager - I told her this. So she has effectively told them again?
She didn't actually enquire about my own symptoms, supposedly going on her own understanding of MS. The tone of the email feels extremely infantilising and judgemental.
Confidentiality is central to our work. In instances that requires us to break this confidentiality, we let the person know. She told me after.
I have supervision on Friday with my manager. How do I broach this?
AIBU?
Colleague informing my manager of a medical issue
Sparklybutold · 17/04/2024 23:44
WarshipRocinante · 18/04/2024 00:00
Well, you told her. So you broke your own confidentiality. And she hasn’t gossiped; she reported it upwards because it clearly weighed on her and she worried about your ability to do the job/the impact of the job on you.
If you don’t want people talking about you or reporting concerns then don’t tell them this stuff. I actually think it’s quite bad form to unload onto a co-worker about your health issues, because they haven’t agreed to be a sounding board for that sort of pain. It’s one thing if they are a close friend as well as colleague. But discussing conditions which are actually quite bad, and get worse with time… it’s not fair to do that and expect someone to just hold it in their head and be OK with it. Especially if she has watched someone close to her go through the degeneration of MS.
IfIwasrude · 18/04/2024 00:11
She had no reason to disbelieve you when you told her that the information had already been passed up. To imply that you couldn't be trusted to discharge that responsibility yourself is disablist and disrespectful. From the social disability perspective, she is contributing to your disability by treating you this way. It also seems likely that she is using your disability to make herself seem superior which is just awful. I completely understand why you would feel that way. However I'm not sure what good it would do to raise it with your supervisor at this point. It adds fuel to the fire. If there is a similar incident again, that would be a different matter. At most, I might say, "X has let me know that she felt duty bound to inform you of my diagnosis that we have already discussed. I had previously told her that you were aware as that is of course my responsibility but I'm sure you were able to reassure her." And just leave it at that.
EditedThisIsMyRubbishUsername · 18/04/2024 00:18
Tell her nothing going forwards. Some people like to stir. She probably didn’t believe you told your manager and because she knows someone else with it she clearly sees herself an expert. She has unlikely done it with good intentions. She’s not to be trusted.
Sparklybutold · 18/04/2024 00:21
Sigh. I've just reread her email. It's awful. I'm just disappointed. It absolutely does feel that she doesn't believe I told my manager.
I will go through the email and document my concerns with the way it's been handled. My manager did reply to her email thanking her and that she would discuss it with me on Friday during our supervision.
ThisIsMyRubbishUsername · 18/04/2024 00:18
Tell her nothing going forwards. Some people like to stir. She probably didn’t believe you told your manager and because she knows someone else with it she clearly sees herself an expert. She has unlikely done it with good intentions. She’s not to be trusted.
FrothyCothy · 18/04/2024 00:36
Are you in a regulated profession OP? Was she being overzealous for that reason? Either way, crappy behaviour by colleague particularly not to discuss her intentions first.
EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness · 18/04/2024 02:02
It sounds to me like her 'concerns' are around the people with MS she is familiar with and what MS is like for them. I would want to point out to your supervisor that even if you have MS, symptoms and progressions vary a lot between patients and that this woman has no idea what it will be like for you and what this will mean for you over time work-wise.
Understatedcarriage · 18/04/2024 00:14
I would feel really annoyed at your colleague in this situation too. It seems really patronising and interfering.
Sparklybutold · 18/04/2024 00:21
Sigh. I've just reread her email. It's awful. I'm just disappointed. It absolutely does feel that she doesn't believe I told my manager.
I will go through the email and document my concerns with the way it's been handled. My manager did reply to her email thanking her and that she would discuss it with me on Friday during our supervision.
ThisIsMyRubbishUsername · 18/04/2024 00:18
Tell her nothing going forwards. Some people like to stir. She probably didn’t believe you told your manager and because she knows someone else with it she clearly sees herself an expert. She has unlikely done it with good intentions. She’s not to be trusted.
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Sparklybutold · 18/04/2024 00:21
Sigh. I've just reread her email. It's awful. I'm just disappointed. It absolutely does feel that she doesn't believe I told my manager.
I will go through the email and document my concerns with the way it's been handled. My manager did reply to her email thanking her and that she would discuss it with me on Friday during our supervision.
ThisIsMyRubbishUsername · 18/04/2024 00:18
Tell her nothing going forwards. Some people like to stir. She probably didn’t believe you told your manager and because she knows someone else with it she clearly sees herself an expert. She has unlikely done it with good intentions. She’s not to be trusted.
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