Is there a law in Texas which prohibits employer from discussing employee info with family?

Question

I'm looking for a law which prohibits an employer from discussing employee situations with his wife - the wife then gleefully passes the gossip around.

Answer 1

Depends on the "info" your talking about

If a creditor for example called for employment verification, they can say yes they are employed here, and for how long, that's it.

However, if the employer discusses the daily goings on with his wife, for example, That guy John is always loafing and seems to be the worst employee of the bunch, well GOOD LUCK pursuing that in a court of law, this could be an opinion and we all have right to those. If the wife has shared confidential information about you, for example, you checked out HIV positive on the medical exam, or said you attended re-hab well, THEN you have a course of action. If it's just gossipy stuff, forget it...

Answer 2

It is called confidentiality, and depending upon the information passed on, you could get them in serious law trouble, or just have them fired from the company.

Most companies have a confidentiality policy, making it illegal to devulge information from an employee file to anyone except the employee or persons that have access to said file. Your boss could lose his job if that is the case.

If it was medical information, there is a federal HEPPA (HIPPA) law that prevents ANY person with knowledge of anothers medical conditions to tell anyone but the actual person about it. If your boss was discussing your medical conditions with his wife, then he can be prosecuted for violating that law.

Best bet is to contact your human resource person. I would also have dates and topics that the wife did her thing as proof.

Answer 3

confidentiality. call your better business bureau. or human resourses.