HR Tip of the Week, sponsored by Highflyer Payroll: Sharing information about an absence

We recently received an interesting question from a client: “One of our employees will be on leave while they go to rehab. What, if anything, should we tell the staff about the employee’s absence?”

Federal law requires that you keep medical information confidential, so you should tell your staff only that the employee is out on leave. The employee’s direct manager may need to know the expected duration of the leave, but very few, if any, managers or staff will need to know why. Rehab, like other reasons for extended absences, may become fodder for gossip, so minimize this possibility. Click here to read more.