General Forums >> Ask an HR Professional >> H1N1 Flu - Hide it
H1N1 Flu - Hide it
12 posts back to top |
Posted 19 days ago Hi,
I have a question that has been bugging me... A friend of mine working in a big and famous company, in the San Franciso Bay Area caught the H1N1 Flu (confirmed by a doctor). He was coughing and sick for a few days, and he came to work. It looks like he contaminated some other employees around him (but nothing sure or proved yet! No analysis to prove the virus came from the same source). My friend told his N+2 Manager and HR about his sickness, and he and his N+2 manager got specific order from HR to not tell anyone in the office about the N1H1 flu. So my friend just take a few days off, saying everyone he is just working from home for the next days!
Why would HR give such request? To avoid panic? (they are thousands of employees on site). Is this legal or normal or usual not to prevent or warn employees? Can't the company be sued for that? I know some people in his team have babies at home... and I imagined if they caught the flu and transmit it to their familiies and babies. And what would happen if an employee gets very sick because of that or their babies's life can be threatened? (or worse?)
What do you think?
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32 posts back to top |
| Posted 18 days ago Our guidance has been, if you get H1N1, stay home for a minimum of seven days until you are no longer contagious. I don't get why HR would advise not to tell anyone (besides HIPPA concerns, perhaps). I think a general policy or statement similar to ours would help. |
219 posts back to top |
| Posted 18 days ago it is because of HIPPA. you can not disclose a person medical condition, it is considered private. It does put Hr in a hard place, you want to warn people that they have been exposed, but you can't. |
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12 posts back to top |
| Posted 18 days ago Oh I see. I did not think about HIPAA in this case. That makes a much better sense for me now! Thanks for your answers!
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