Employees Confidentiality in the Workplace Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Confidentiality issues and compliance with codes of behavior are essential in any workplace. Every worker has the right to non-disclosure of private information. The privacy of the medical records of employees guarantees a safe and comfortable working environment. There are acts and rules, for example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act that help employers handle privacy issues. This essay dwells on the analysis of the situation of an employee’s unfair treatment. It also covers the actions displayed by the manager and their comparison to the leader’s actions.

Medical records are kept confidential because of the nature of the contained information. It includes worker’s medical history, laboratory test results, and medication prescribed (“Medical Privacy. Workplace Fairness”, n.d.). The underlying legal principle that employers follow is an obligation not to disclose any health information without a serious reason or worker’s authorization. Therefore, the situation that happened at the Home Health Care Agency requires a reconsideration of confidentiality and human resources management policies.

Sarah’s case could be handled differently to avoid isolation and stressful consequences. First of all, according to the Code of Medical Ethics, physician’s health or wellness should not be compromised to ensure the effectiveness of medical care (“Physician health and wellness”, n.d.). Hence, there should be guidelines for the medical worker on how to act when he or she feels sick. Moreover, there is a collective obligation of staff to take care of each other, help and provide advice if someone’s health is compromised. It is underlined that Sara had been coughing for six weeks, time enough to enact preventive measures. The manager has to guarantee that guidelines are coherent and available for everyone.

Sara missed much work, which caused isolation and stress in the workplace. The manager’s role was to follow up on the worker’s wellbeing in case of a long absence. Besides, the Human Resources (HR) department did not provide employees with a feedback form to report on incompetent or unethical behavior by colleagues (“The top 10 ethical issues medical students should be taught”, 2020). Alternatively, Sarah’s co-workers could have been informed of her absence without disclosing her health condition. All in all, Sarah’s case should have been handled in cooperation between the manager and the HR department to avoid misunderstanding.

Disclosure of personal medical information has undermined Sarah’s professional confidence. It has also worsened the relationship between employees that resulted in the deterioration of their work quality. It is clear that the manager has missed several crucial strategic points. There were no prevention measures to help Sarah react to her health problems quicker. In addition, the HR department did not follow their confidentiality policies or, perhaps, some of the HR managers neglected them. The manager did not check if there were feedback forms or instructions to report on unethical behavior. Finally, there was no psychological support offered to Sarah once she got back to work.

In contrast, the leader of the Home Health Care Agency would act differently. His primary responsibility is to establish links between the HR department, employees, and senior managers. Secondly, all the employees should be informed about the codes of ethical behavior when they start working at the agency. The HR department should organize regular training on the updates and sensitive issues that emerge in the workplace. Finally, HR managers and employees should know that penalties will follow if they infringe on the code or other related rules.

References

. (n.d.). Web.

. Web.

. (2020). Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, February 9). Employees Confidentiality in the Workplace. https://ivypanda.com/essays/employees-confidentiality-in-the-workplace/

Work Cited

"Employees Confidentiality in the Workplace." IvyPanda, 9 Feb. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/employees-confidentiality-in-the-workplace/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Employees Confidentiality in the Workplace'. 9 February.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Employees Confidentiality in the Workplace." February 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/employees-confidentiality-in-the-workplace/.

1. IvyPanda. "Employees Confidentiality in the Workplace." February 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/employees-confidentiality-in-the-workplace/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Employees Confidentiality in the Workplace." February 9, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/employees-confidentiality-in-the-workplace/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1