Legal Question in Employment Law in Massachusetts

Employee Privacy

I am under ''administrative leave'' from my hospital RN job after a fellow employee misjudged a letter I sent to her privately at home.I have worked there for 20 years and have an excellent record. The letter was in regards to a boyfriend who passed away. She didn't believe he exsisted because she never met him. I told her I would show her his death certificate as proof (she refused to see it). She brought the letter to my bosses stating she felt I was suidical and felt threatened by me for her own safety. She and I used to be friends. There is no proof to her accusations. I also feel the hospital is now trying to find information about my private life (i.e. personal info on the boyfriend that died who has nothing to do with my job or these accusations). If as they claim, this is a ''safety issue'', can my private life be disected when this has nothing to do with the complaint? They have told me my

job performance is not in question and there are no complaints about that. I resent my private life being dragged into my work place. How far can my employer go?


Asked on 12/05/00, 8:30 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
William McLeod McLeod Law Offices, PC

Re: Employee Privacy

Your status as an RN requires the employer to take some action. I am assuming that you work for either a hospital or other health care facility. Furthermore, as an RN, you are subject to licensure by the Commonwealth, and specifically, the Board of Registration in Nursing. If someone brought an allegation to your employer (legitimate or not) that you were suicidal your employer is obligated to investigate it. You are not being specific about what was in the letter. I need to either read the letter myself, or find out more about its contents before saying whether your employer is taking a reasonable approach to an allegation, or is overreacting to an obviously false accusation. Please provide more details by calling me at 617-542-2956 or vial email.

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Answered on 12/06/00, 11:01 pm


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