We addressed the dangers of “snooping” into patient records by hospital workers spurred by incidents of Ebola and Enterovirus D-86 in the U.S. Of course, the workplace challenges created by Ebola, Enterovirus D-86 and other contagious diseases and illnesses in the workplace go far beyond snooping, and far beyond healthcare employers. Employers in all industries are facing dilemmas in which they have to weigh legal standards that are less than clear against the often competing interests of employees who are suspected of having these diseases or illnesses, their co-workers and the businesses’ customers. At the same time, businesses, employers and the public try to sift through the seemingly cryptic, sometimes conflicting, and fast moving guidance from federal and state public health agencies.
Employers need to be thinking about the possibility that they too could be faced with having to make decisions concerning a potentially infected employee.
Read more on Workplace Privacy Data Management & Security Report.
UPDATE: See also this article on National Law Review by Bradford T. Hammock of Jackson Lewis. Pages 3 and 4 of the article address privacy issues.