Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Medical disclosure

I got called into a meeting at work today with the HR manager because she is concerned about my work attendance (I have been absent 3 days in the last 5 months).  Only one of these absences was due to symptoms related to PCOS (one day was due to a migraine, NOT related to PCOS, and the other was for something else... can't remember why now?). 

When my supervisor (lovely, lovely sympathetic lady who I adore!) explained to the HR manager that I had flooded my clothes on my way to work and had to turn around and go home, and that the flooding was due to having PCOS, the HR manager gave me a stern look and asked me why I hadn't disclosed on my medical forms that I have PCOS???

Since when is a woman REQUIRED to disclose the fact that she has PCOS, or any other gynaecological condition, to her employer?

I didn't deliberately withhold the information, I just didn't consider PCOS to be a "medical condition" worthy of disclosing to anyone other than a medical practitioner because it is something I have had for so long that it is just a part of my life.

I have never had to lose a day off work in my life due to PCOS issues until last week.

Should I say something to my supervisor about how uncomfortable I feel about the meeting with the HR Manager today?

**EDIT**

I spoke to my supervisor about a week or two later and told her how uncomfortable I felt during the meeting, she told me not to worry about it, that is just the HR Manager's way.  My supervisor thinks the HR Manager is making a huge issue out of nothing.  She suggested that I get a letter from my local Dr and give it to the HR dept to add to my employee records so that if I have any more absences from work due to my PCOS issues later down the track I will be covered and I won't be disciplined for taking so much time off work.  Sheesh!  I have never known a company to be so militant about people having a genuine medical condition. 

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