An employee in Texas took time off of work for personal reasons. While he was off of work, his employer told everybody who asked why he was off work, sharing his personal reasons with those people. Doesn't that violate the worker's privacy rights?
An employee in Texas took time off of work for personal reasons. While he was off of work, his employer told everybody who asked why he was off work, sharing his personal reasons with those people. Doesn't that violate the worker's privacy rights?
Generally speaking, it does not. Exceptions can arise. For example, the employee may have an employment contract that prohibits such a disclosure, or there may be evidence that the disclosure was part of a larger pattern of unlawful discrimination against or unlawful harassment of the employee. It's not good practice for an employer to share an employee's secrets, but as a general rule they may do so.