Hellobee Boards

I don't think you're being ridiculous, that does sound like something they should tell people. It doesn't violate medical privacy to say that *someone* in the office had pertussis. FWIW, I work at a university, and we have definitely received emails when a student or someone else is diagnosed with mumps or whatever. And I have a friend who was recently notified that a child in her son's daycare had pertussis. I've also been told in previous jobs and schools that someone was diagnosed with TB. So it isn't some crazy expectation to be notified, IMO. Of course, we can't be informed every time someone has the flu or strep or whatever, but I think these rarer contagious illnesses are different.

This isn’t something that would even cross my mind. Daycares should of course report, but adults to me is another story. I think it just makes for micro managing. We should trust adults will stay home when they’re sick, but they shouldn’t be put on blast if they don’t feel like sharing at the time.
It’s reported to the Health Department for data, but I dont see why a company would be obligated to tell everyone. It’s none of their (or your!) business IMO.

I will say - I am like the opposite of a germaphobe. It doesn’t worry me in the slightest when someone else is sick. I just think..”That sucks for them!!”

I think you should have been told, even if it was just that someone in the office had pertussis. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, my principal came to find me as soon as he found out a student had chicken pox. He knew it would be dangerous if I caught it and wanted to make sure I was immune. I appreciated that he sought me out right away.

Just curious, but how do you know that management even knew she had it? Just because she told your cube-mate doesn't mean she told everyone, right?

But yeah, I'd be super annoyed! That stuff is dangerous for babies, so it's scary to be around someone who had it!!

Honestly, I think the average person has no idea what pertussis is unless they've had kids in the last decade. I have never gotten official notice that anyone in my department or company had a disease and I think it likely falls under HIPAA in most people's minds. Her choice to share the information, but I understand why the company didn't.

FWIW, there is a list of diseases that health care providers are supposed to report to local health departments/CDC. Things like flu and strep are not on there. Pertussis, measles, mumps, other vaccine-preventable diseases, hepatitis, TB, etc. are. I think it's reasonable to expect or at the very least desire that an employer notify employees of possible exposure to these same diseases IF the employer is aware, obviously.