Coworker spreading private medical information about my sister
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Coworker spreading private medical information about my sister
What do I do when a coworker of mine
is spreading extremely private medical
information about my sister a former
coworker at our company??
Asked on August 20, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Kentucky
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
There is nothing you can do: any claim your sister has is not your claim, and you cannot take action for her.
Your sister may be able to sue the coworker and/or the employer (the employer is liable if they did not take proper steps to secure any information in their possession) IF the information was obtained improperly: e.g. from your sister's personnel file.
But if the coworker knows this from some other source--e.g. you sister told her, or a friend of your sister told her--then there is nothing your sister can do, either. Any person can share any information they do not obtain in an improper way (e.g. they are told by someone) with any people they want or in any location (e.g. at a former employer) they want. There is no general protection for health information; all there is, is protection for information in business or doctor's files.
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