Your Private Information Is Just That: Private

Sometimes, your boss knows things about you that you don’t want your coworkers to know.  Maybe you have a disability, or are going through marital troubles, or are being treated for bipolar disorder.

There are often good reasons you have to tell your supervisor things like this.  Maybe you explained why you had to miss work one day, or why you were so upset at work.  Just because you tell your boss, however, doesn’t mean it’s okay for him or her to tell everyone else.

California has a law that makes it illegal to publicly disclose private facts in certain situations.  For Melissa Ignat, the law became a reality when she missed work because of her bipolar disorder, and her boss shockingly decided to tell all of her coworkers about it while she was out.  Ms. Ignat had not told her coworkers about her bipolar disorder and was very upset that her supervisor had done so.

Worse, her coworkers started avoiding her and treating her differently.  One even asked the boss if Ms. Ignat was going to “go postal” and harm them because of her disorder.

It is not just poor managing or gossip for a supervisor to share your private information – it can even be against the law.  Employees are supposed to be able to feel comfortable talking to their bosses when there is something going on in their lives that may affect their work.  Bosses like Ms. Ignat’s, however, are one of many reasons employees often feel uncomfortable talking to their supervisors about important topics.

We will have to wait until her trial against the company next year to find out whether a jury agrees that Ms. Ignat’s boss broke the law, but if you have been the victim of a supervisor’s public disclosure of your private information, you don’t have to wait that long.  Contact an Aegis attorney if Ms. Ignat’s situation sounds familiar to you.