I am on medical leave for a month just found out that everybody thinks its a joke?

Question

I am suffering from depression, and I work for a mental health facility is it against the law for them to post it on a breakroom white board, I only told my boss he told everyody else. I work for the state and am usung my own sick time ,

Answer 1

Your boss posted on the board that you on leave for depression? It's not a joke and he shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry... Call the Labor board, or the Equal Opportunity Employer. There are legal agencies out there designed to protect empoyees. This sounds like a form of harassment. I hope you feel better. :-)

Answer 2

Depression is no joke and your boss is a small pathetic man for making it a joke. Many people suffer from depression. There are many degrees of depression as well. Some can be quite debilitating. They are the ones who are manic depressed. I was first diagnosed as having depression and anxieties about 3 years ago. I later found out I had bipolar disorder. It's nothing to be ashamed of and it is very often a matter of receiving the right medication. Our bodies are all different and some need medication to be able to function. It is mostly hereditary but not always. There are medications for you to try at different strengths. I took Paxel for a while beginning with a small dose and moving up but it wasn't the medication for me as it caused sexual side effects. Wellbutrin worked OK but I still had small episodes. Zoloft worked the best. I used it for about 2 years. Baginning with only 25 mgs and moving upward over time to 200 mgs. Once I reached 200 mgs and found that it just wasn't helping like it should I started seeing a therapist. After my first visit she told me I wasn't just depressed. You see, depression is a symptom of bipolar disorder. As is anxiety, stress, OCD and others. Now I take Seroquel, Lamictol and Propanolol. It's been almost a year now since I started this medication and I'm finally myself again.

Don't get discouraged. Your doctor will find the right medication and the right dosage for you to be normal and happy. It may take a few weeks before the medicine to work as most depression medications need to be in your system for a while before they begin to work.

Your boss should be repremanded for his childish and unprofessional behavior. If I were you I would talk to his boss and let them know just how much he has embarrassed you and hurt you. Depression is treatable but when you're face with closed minded ignorant people it doesn't help with your recovery process. You need a lot of positive reinforcement.

Good luck and don't get discouraged.

Answer 3

If I were you, I would contact a lawyer a.s.a.p. and ask what action can be taken against an employer that has "shared" your personal information with the rest of your office.

I know exactly what you are speaking of when you say that everybody thinks your depression is a joke. I have been dealing with depression for about a year. My depression got so bad that I had to leave my job. Nobody around me seems to understand how depression can be so hard to deal with. Even my own Father told me that I am just "faking" to get out of work. People just don't understand that depression is an actual illness. They think it is something that we can just turn on and off, like a light switch.

Sometimes it helps to talk about how your depression is making you feel. Seeing as how I am dealing with the same thing as you, you can always feel free to email me at [e-mail] Perhaps we can use each others experiences to lessen the grip that depression has on us.

Answer 4

I don't know a lot about legal issues, but my guess would be, yes, it's illegal to post that kind of information. Since you work in mental health, you know all about patient confidentiality. I work in a mental health facility too, and we've been told that we have a right to employee confidentiality as well. Did your boss tell everyone just that you were on medical leave or did he/she specify what the medical leave was about? At my job we get told if someone goes on medical leave, but we don't get told from the boss why a person is on medical leave...that's usually left as confidential.
I'm really sorry this happened to you...working in a mental health facility yourself, you know the importance of confidentiality.

Answer 5

I think thats is against the law to be publishing your medical situation to the co-workers. I hope you feel better and seek care because as you know, depression is not a joke it is a serious disease and it can get complicated.

Answer 6

If it is in fact against the law, then why is your boss telling other employees. even if it's not it should fall under priveledged information and I would file an equal opportunity complaint against him and the mental health facility you work for.

Answer 7

Don't let what others think get to you in any way. All they want is drama because of their shallow lives. If you feel that your confidentiality rights have been violated, I would proceed with filing a grieveance immediately upon your return.

Answer 8

The facility you work for should fully understand HIPPA. If they do not follow those guidelines then they should not be open. If they do, what they did to you is completely unacceptable. This could be course for legal action in my opinion.

Answer 9

It is a shame that your boss decided to tell everyone your personal business, the best thing you might do is tell him in person that the information you gave him was private & you do not appreciate his sharing it.

In the future do not allow yourself to be exposed by telling private information

Answer 10

Definitely against Human Resources policies. I’m sorry you are going through this.

Good Luck