Federal Employee Medical information

[parrotheadil]

What is the name of your state? IL

I am union steward researching information. I am a federal employee (postal service). We have an employee on WC. He recently used sick leave. He was told to get a doctors excuse. He complied. The doctors note read 'please excuse xxxx from work for (dates) while he was under my care'. The manager did not accept the excuse citing Employee Labor Manual (ELM17 section 513.364 )
Here is my question. Don't privacy laws restrict just how much information is to be given out? The employee is not divulging the information voluntarily, he is doing it under threat of discipline and has been told by this manager that he is "a liar".
How much detail does he need to go into? Obviously the manager is not a doctor and is not qualifed to determine what is and is not an acceptable use of the employees earned benefit.
This touches on many areas federal supervisors seem to think they are immune to most laws. Thank you for you input.

 

[mykoleary]

What is the name of your state? IL

I am union steward researching information. I am a federal employee (postal service). We have an employee on WC. He recently used sick leave. He was told to get a doctors excuse. He complied. The doctors note read 'please excuse xxxx from work for (dates) while he was under my care'. The manager did not accept the excuse citing Employee Labor Manual (ELM17 section 513.364 )
Here is my question. Don't privacy laws restrict just how much information is to be given out? The employee is not divulging the information voluntarily, he is doing it under threat of discipline and has been told by this manager that he is "a liar".
How much detail does he need to go into? Obviously the manager is not a doctor and is not qualifed to determine what is and is not an acceptable use of the employees earned benefit.
This touches on many areas federal supervisors seem to think they are immune to most laws. Thank you for you input.

It sounds like he requested unpaid FMLA sick leave. Part of the section reads:

What is required on the documentation when the employee is requesting FMLA leave to care for an eligible for Medical Reasons?

A. The documentation from a recognized health care provider, as defined in ELM 515.2 e and ELM 513.364, stating the date the serious health condition began, probable duration of the illness, appropriate medical facts, and when the employee will be needed to provide such care or psychological support.

By appropriate medical facts, I would take that to mean not necesarily divulging private information (e.g. this employee has herpes and is being treated with energy sucking antibiotics) but to mean more the medical facts that affect the employee's ability to perform their job (e.g. medicines being taken to treat specific illnesses render teh employee unable to perform even base work functions - xxx yyy & zzz)