How to ask to work from home without mentioning an awkward health condition?












2















I am current working at a small start-up as an IT Support. The current policy is that you can work from home as long as you have legit reasons. Then usually most of the team managers won't mind.



Recently I am experiencing a pain with my bowel movements and was diagnosed with hemorrhoids (an inflamed vein around my anus). The main problem it caused is that sitting on the chair for 8 hours is very painful. (Getting up every 2-3 hours won't help much.)



However, this can be solved if I work from home since I can find a comfortable position while working.



I am going to talk to my manager for a work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder.



So is there a way to communicate to my manager to show that I have an actual health condition that I prefer working from home but without mentioning it?










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  • 4





    Can you get a doctor's note? Hemorrhoids are a fairly common condition, and utterly boring. It'd be a fairly pathetically boring workplace if it became a topic of conversation. As an aside a nice soft cushion and a thick layer of something like Sudocrem will lubricate the hemorrhoids and make them less of a pain in the ass

    – user1666620
    7 hours ago








  • 3





    +1 purely for that pain in the ass pun.

    – Lee Abraham
    7 hours ago











  • "I am going to talk to my manager for work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder" - is your boss a jerk? Every manager I've ever had would keep such things in confidence. I know I did when folks working for me mentioned things they wanted kept quiet.

    – Joe Strazzere
    7 hours ago











  • Because OP is working at a small startup, it's better not to fully disclose anything if they're not comfortable sharing with coworkers. I worked in a 200 person startup and disclosed to my manager that my wife and I were going to through IVF. The information started make its rounds at the company. I'm not ashamed of going to IVF, but I should still be able to chose who hears this information.

    – jcmack
    6 hours ago








  • 1





    Have you considered a standing desk option so that you don't have to sit all the time?

    – Joe W
    6 hours ago
















2















I am current working at a small start-up as an IT Support. The current policy is that you can work from home as long as you have legit reasons. Then usually most of the team managers won't mind.



Recently I am experiencing a pain with my bowel movements and was diagnosed with hemorrhoids (an inflamed vein around my anus). The main problem it caused is that sitting on the chair for 8 hours is very painful. (Getting up every 2-3 hours won't help much.)



However, this can be solved if I work from home since I can find a comfortable position while working.



I am going to talk to my manager for a work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder.



So is there a way to communicate to my manager to show that I have an actual health condition that I prefer working from home but without mentioning it?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Spencer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 4





    Can you get a doctor's note? Hemorrhoids are a fairly common condition, and utterly boring. It'd be a fairly pathetically boring workplace if it became a topic of conversation. As an aside a nice soft cushion and a thick layer of something like Sudocrem will lubricate the hemorrhoids and make them less of a pain in the ass

    – user1666620
    7 hours ago








  • 3





    +1 purely for that pain in the ass pun.

    – Lee Abraham
    7 hours ago











  • "I am going to talk to my manager for work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder" - is your boss a jerk? Every manager I've ever had would keep such things in confidence. I know I did when folks working for me mentioned things they wanted kept quiet.

    – Joe Strazzere
    7 hours ago











  • Because OP is working at a small startup, it's better not to fully disclose anything if they're not comfortable sharing with coworkers. I worked in a 200 person startup and disclosed to my manager that my wife and I were going to through IVF. The information started make its rounds at the company. I'm not ashamed of going to IVF, but I should still be able to chose who hears this information.

    – jcmack
    6 hours ago








  • 1





    Have you considered a standing desk option so that you don't have to sit all the time?

    – Joe W
    6 hours ago














2












2








2








I am current working at a small start-up as an IT Support. The current policy is that you can work from home as long as you have legit reasons. Then usually most of the team managers won't mind.



Recently I am experiencing a pain with my bowel movements and was diagnosed with hemorrhoids (an inflamed vein around my anus). The main problem it caused is that sitting on the chair for 8 hours is very painful. (Getting up every 2-3 hours won't help much.)



However, this can be solved if I work from home since I can find a comfortable position while working.



I am going to talk to my manager for a work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder.



So is there a way to communicate to my manager to show that I have an actual health condition that I prefer working from home but without mentioning it?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Spencer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












I am current working at a small start-up as an IT Support. The current policy is that you can work from home as long as you have legit reasons. Then usually most of the team managers won't mind.



Recently I am experiencing a pain with my bowel movements and was diagnosed with hemorrhoids (an inflamed vein around my anus). The main problem it caused is that sitting on the chair for 8 hours is very painful. (Getting up every 2-3 hours won't help much.)



However, this can be solved if I work from home since I can find a comfortable position while working.



I am going to talk to my manager for a work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder.



So is there a way to communicate to my manager to show that I have an actual health condition that I prefer working from home but without mentioning it?







communication sickness work-from-home






share|improve this question









New contributor




Spencer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




Spencer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 6 mins ago









Anne Daunted

1,1463924




1,1463924






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asked 7 hours ago









SpencerSpencer

141




141




New contributor




Spencer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





Spencer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Spencer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 4





    Can you get a doctor's note? Hemorrhoids are a fairly common condition, and utterly boring. It'd be a fairly pathetically boring workplace if it became a topic of conversation. As an aside a nice soft cushion and a thick layer of something like Sudocrem will lubricate the hemorrhoids and make them less of a pain in the ass

    – user1666620
    7 hours ago








  • 3





    +1 purely for that pain in the ass pun.

    – Lee Abraham
    7 hours ago











  • "I am going to talk to my manager for work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder" - is your boss a jerk? Every manager I've ever had would keep such things in confidence. I know I did when folks working for me mentioned things they wanted kept quiet.

    – Joe Strazzere
    7 hours ago











  • Because OP is working at a small startup, it's better not to fully disclose anything if they're not comfortable sharing with coworkers. I worked in a 200 person startup and disclosed to my manager that my wife and I were going to through IVF. The information started make its rounds at the company. I'm not ashamed of going to IVF, but I should still be able to chose who hears this information.

    – jcmack
    6 hours ago








  • 1





    Have you considered a standing desk option so that you don't have to sit all the time?

    – Joe W
    6 hours ago














  • 4





    Can you get a doctor's note? Hemorrhoids are a fairly common condition, and utterly boring. It'd be a fairly pathetically boring workplace if it became a topic of conversation. As an aside a nice soft cushion and a thick layer of something like Sudocrem will lubricate the hemorrhoids and make them less of a pain in the ass

    – user1666620
    7 hours ago








  • 3





    +1 purely for that pain in the ass pun.

    – Lee Abraham
    7 hours ago











  • "I am going to talk to my manager for work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder" - is your boss a jerk? Every manager I've ever had would keep such things in confidence. I know I did when folks working for me mentioned things they wanted kept quiet.

    – Joe Strazzere
    7 hours ago











  • Because OP is working at a small startup, it's better not to fully disclose anything if they're not comfortable sharing with coworkers. I worked in a 200 person startup and disclosed to my manager that my wife and I were going to through IVF. The information started make its rounds at the company. I'm not ashamed of going to IVF, but I should still be able to chose who hears this information.

    – jcmack
    6 hours ago








  • 1





    Have you considered a standing desk option so that you don't have to sit all the time?

    – Joe W
    6 hours ago








4




4





Can you get a doctor's note? Hemorrhoids are a fairly common condition, and utterly boring. It'd be a fairly pathetically boring workplace if it became a topic of conversation. As an aside a nice soft cushion and a thick layer of something like Sudocrem will lubricate the hemorrhoids and make them less of a pain in the ass

– user1666620
7 hours ago







Can you get a doctor's note? Hemorrhoids are a fairly common condition, and utterly boring. It'd be a fairly pathetically boring workplace if it became a topic of conversation. As an aside a nice soft cushion and a thick layer of something like Sudocrem will lubricate the hemorrhoids and make them less of a pain in the ass

– user1666620
7 hours ago






3




3





+1 purely for that pain in the ass pun.

– Lee Abraham
7 hours ago





+1 purely for that pain in the ass pun.

– Lee Abraham
7 hours ago













"I am going to talk to my manager for work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder" - is your boss a jerk? Every manager I've ever had would keep such things in confidence. I know I did when folks working for me mentioned things they wanted kept quiet.

– Joe Strazzere
7 hours ago





"I am going to talk to my manager for work from home permission. I am afraid that mentioning my actual health condition will leave office gossip and make my work life harder" - is your boss a jerk? Every manager I've ever had would keep such things in confidence. I know I did when folks working for me mentioned things they wanted kept quiet.

– Joe Strazzere
7 hours ago













Because OP is working at a small startup, it's better not to fully disclose anything if they're not comfortable sharing with coworkers. I worked in a 200 person startup and disclosed to my manager that my wife and I were going to through IVF. The information started make its rounds at the company. I'm not ashamed of going to IVF, but I should still be able to chose who hears this information.

– jcmack
6 hours ago







Because OP is working at a small startup, it's better not to fully disclose anything if they're not comfortable sharing with coworkers. I worked in a 200 person startup and disclosed to my manager that my wife and I were going to through IVF. The information started make its rounds at the company. I'm not ashamed of going to IVF, but I should still be able to chose who hears this information.

– jcmack
6 hours ago






1




1





Have you considered a standing desk option so that you don't have to sit all the time?

– Joe W
6 hours ago





Have you considered a standing desk option so that you don't have to sit all the time?

– Joe W
6 hours ago










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















6














You have a couple of options here.



The first option is talk to your manager, mention that you have a health issue that you would like to keep private and that you need to work from home because of it. Most managers I've worked with would understand and not press you for details than your comfortable sharing. How much detail you give out should largely depend on how much you trust your manager to keep the details of the conversation private.



The second option is to get a note from your doctor stating that you need to work from home for medical reasons and present that to your manager.






share|improve this answer





















  • 4





    The wording doesn't even need to include "deeply personal". That just makes it sound interesting instead of boring. The OP has a medical issue that necessitates working from home for a while, and they can get a a doctor's note if that is needed.

    – thursdaysgeek
    7 hours ago











  • @thursdaysgeek good point. I reworded it. What I meant was a health issue that they don't want the whole office to know about. Usually saying you would like to keep something private will be enough to keep somebody from gossiping about it unless that somebody is a scumbag.

    – Lee Abraham
    7 hours ago











  • There are also other options like a standing workstation, but if you're more productive at home then you should definitely chose that option.

    – jcmack
    6 hours ago



















2














Well, it should be completely confidential.

I assume you're asking because you don't think that it will be kept confidential.

There are clear laws in the US (HIPPA) but sometimes the gossip doesn't abide by them - or maybe you are concerned about people overhearing?



Either way, perhaps you can get a note from the doctor stating that you are not able to work in an office environment comfortably due to a short term medical condition.

You can try to get them to leave out the diagnosis, or have a note that instructs them to call if they need to know what it is.



If your company is large enough to have an HR department, then you could approach them and tell them what it is. That way your manager shouldn't know.



I feel for you, I have worked at places where data sprays out of HR like a firehose. It shouldn't, but in some places it does.






share|improve this answer
























  • HIPAA doesn't apply to non-medical people, so unless the OP works for a medical office (and perhaps even if they do), that law won't help anyway.

    – thursdaysgeek
    7 hours ago











  • @thursdaysgeek If a medical office discloses to a specific person or department (at the patient's request) and that entity blabs it through the office, I believe that is actionable. But I'm not a lawyer, you may be correct that it isn't a hippa violation.

    – J. Chris Compton
    7 hours ago











  • @J.ChrisCompton That's not the situation, though. This is the OP voluntarily disclosing information to their boss in a situation that is not (necessarily) one in which the boss has a legal responsibility to protect private health information. It's not a slam-dunk HIPAA case by any stretch, and even if it were I'm not sure the remedy (a fine to the employer, audits of the employer, etc.) would be a satisfying trade for the OP.

    – Upper_Case
    4 hours ago





















0














You can get a ring cushion for your seat and honestly people won't care. The issue is something that affects 1 in 3 people and it is as mentioned simply boring. Just keep it in your drawer and be discreet about it, although I have seen people openly leave it on their chairs and we thought nothing of it (actually felt sorry for her as she was pregnant).



Or ask for a standup desk.



Unfortunately it is not a problem that will go away anytime soon (dont ask me how I know this please) so you have to learn to live with it and working from home every day will probably not be a good long term solution.



Trust me this is not a topic people will willingly want to discuss or tell each other about.






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    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes








    3 Answers
    3






    active

    oldest

    votes









    active

    oldest

    votes






    active

    oldest

    votes









    6














    You have a couple of options here.



    The first option is talk to your manager, mention that you have a health issue that you would like to keep private and that you need to work from home because of it. Most managers I've worked with would understand and not press you for details than your comfortable sharing. How much detail you give out should largely depend on how much you trust your manager to keep the details of the conversation private.



    The second option is to get a note from your doctor stating that you need to work from home for medical reasons and present that to your manager.






    share|improve this answer





















    • 4





      The wording doesn't even need to include "deeply personal". That just makes it sound interesting instead of boring. The OP has a medical issue that necessitates working from home for a while, and they can get a a doctor's note if that is needed.

      – thursdaysgeek
      7 hours ago











    • @thursdaysgeek good point. I reworded it. What I meant was a health issue that they don't want the whole office to know about. Usually saying you would like to keep something private will be enough to keep somebody from gossiping about it unless that somebody is a scumbag.

      – Lee Abraham
      7 hours ago











    • There are also other options like a standing workstation, but if you're more productive at home then you should definitely chose that option.

      – jcmack
      6 hours ago
















    6














    You have a couple of options here.



    The first option is talk to your manager, mention that you have a health issue that you would like to keep private and that you need to work from home because of it. Most managers I've worked with would understand and not press you for details than your comfortable sharing. How much detail you give out should largely depend on how much you trust your manager to keep the details of the conversation private.



    The second option is to get a note from your doctor stating that you need to work from home for medical reasons and present that to your manager.






    share|improve this answer





















    • 4





      The wording doesn't even need to include "deeply personal". That just makes it sound interesting instead of boring. The OP has a medical issue that necessitates working from home for a while, and they can get a a doctor's note if that is needed.

      – thursdaysgeek
      7 hours ago











    • @thursdaysgeek good point. I reworded it. What I meant was a health issue that they don't want the whole office to know about. Usually saying you would like to keep something private will be enough to keep somebody from gossiping about it unless that somebody is a scumbag.

      – Lee Abraham
      7 hours ago











    • There are also other options like a standing workstation, but if you're more productive at home then you should definitely chose that option.

      – jcmack
      6 hours ago














    6












    6








    6







    You have a couple of options here.



    The first option is talk to your manager, mention that you have a health issue that you would like to keep private and that you need to work from home because of it. Most managers I've worked with would understand and not press you for details than your comfortable sharing. How much detail you give out should largely depend on how much you trust your manager to keep the details of the conversation private.



    The second option is to get a note from your doctor stating that you need to work from home for medical reasons and present that to your manager.






    share|improve this answer















    You have a couple of options here.



    The first option is talk to your manager, mention that you have a health issue that you would like to keep private and that you need to work from home because of it. Most managers I've worked with would understand and not press you for details than your comfortable sharing. How much detail you give out should largely depend on how much you trust your manager to keep the details of the conversation private.



    The second option is to get a note from your doctor stating that you need to work from home for medical reasons and present that to your manager.







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited 7 hours ago

























    answered 7 hours ago









    Lee AbrahamLee Abraham

    1,67811321




    1,67811321








    • 4





      The wording doesn't even need to include "deeply personal". That just makes it sound interesting instead of boring. The OP has a medical issue that necessitates working from home for a while, and they can get a a doctor's note if that is needed.

      – thursdaysgeek
      7 hours ago











    • @thursdaysgeek good point. I reworded it. What I meant was a health issue that they don't want the whole office to know about. Usually saying you would like to keep something private will be enough to keep somebody from gossiping about it unless that somebody is a scumbag.

      – Lee Abraham
      7 hours ago











    • There are also other options like a standing workstation, but if you're more productive at home then you should definitely chose that option.

      – jcmack
      6 hours ago














    • 4





      The wording doesn't even need to include "deeply personal". That just makes it sound interesting instead of boring. The OP has a medical issue that necessitates working from home for a while, and they can get a a doctor's note if that is needed.

      – thursdaysgeek
      7 hours ago











    • @thursdaysgeek good point. I reworded it. What I meant was a health issue that they don't want the whole office to know about. Usually saying you would like to keep something private will be enough to keep somebody from gossiping about it unless that somebody is a scumbag.

      – Lee Abraham
      7 hours ago











    • There are also other options like a standing workstation, but if you're more productive at home then you should definitely chose that option.

      – jcmack
      6 hours ago








    4




    4





    The wording doesn't even need to include "deeply personal". That just makes it sound interesting instead of boring. The OP has a medical issue that necessitates working from home for a while, and they can get a a doctor's note if that is needed.

    – thursdaysgeek
    7 hours ago





    The wording doesn't even need to include "deeply personal". That just makes it sound interesting instead of boring. The OP has a medical issue that necessitates working from home for a while, and they can get a a doctor's note if that is needed.

    – thursdaysgeek
    7 hours ago













    @thursdaysgeek good point. I reworded it. What I meant was a health issue that they don't want the whole office to know about. Usually saying you would like to keep something private will be enough to keep somebody from gossiping about it unless that somebody is a scumbag.

    – Lee Abraham
    7 hours ago





    @thursdaysgeek good point. I reworded it. What I meant was a health issue that they don't want the whole office to know about. Usually saying you would like to keep something private will be enough to keep somebody from gossiping about it unless that somebody is a scumbag.

    – Lee Abraham
    7 hours ago













    There are also other options like a standing workstation, but if you're more productive at home then you should definitely chose that option.

    – jcmack
    6 hours ago





    There are also other options like a standing workstation, but if you're more productive at home then you should definitely chose that option.

    – jcmack
    6 hours ago













    2














    Well, it should be completely confidential.

    I assume you're asking because you don't think that it will be kept confidential.

    There are clear laws in the US (HIPPA) but sometimes the gossip doesn't abide by them - or maybe you are concerned about people overhearing?



    Either way, perhaps you can get a note from the doctor stating that you are not able to work in an office environment comfortably due to a short term medical condition.

    You can try to get them to leave out the diagnosis, or have a note that instructs them to call if they need to know what it is.



    If your company is large enough to have an HR department, then you could approach them and tell them what it is. That way your manager shouldn't know.



    I feel for you, I have worked at places where data sprays out of HR like a firehose. It shouldn't, but in some places it does.






    share|improve this answer
























    • HIPAA doesn't apply to non-medical people, so unless the OP works for a medical office (and perhaps even if they do), that law won't help anyway.

      – thursdaysgeek
      7 hours ago











    • @thursdaysgeek If a medical office discloses to a specific person or department (at the patient's request) and that entity blabs it through the office, I believe that is actionable. But I'm not a lawyer, you may be correct that it isn't a hippa violation.

      – J. Chris Compton
      7 hours ago











    • @J.ChrisCompton That's not the situation, though. This is the OP voluntarily disclosing information to their boss in a situation that is not (necessarily) one in which the boss has a legal responsibility to protect private health information. It's not a slam-dunk HIPAA case by any stretch, and even if it were I'm not sure the remedy (a fine to the employer, audits of the employer, etc.) would be a satisfying trade for the OP.

      – Upper_Case
      4 hours ago


















    2














    Well, it should be completely confidential.

    I assume you're asking because you don't think that it will be kept confidential.

    There are clear laws in the US (HIPPA) but sometimes the gossip doesn't abide by them - or maybe you are concerned about people overhearing?



    Either way, perhaps you can get a note from the doctor stating that you are not able to work in an office environment comfortably due to a short term medical condition.

    You can try to get them to leave out the diagnosis, or have a note that instructs them to call if they need to know what it is.



    If your company is large enough to have an HR department, then you could approach them and tell them what it is. That way your manager shouldn't know.



    I feel for you, I have worked at places where data sprays out of HR like a firehose. It shouldn't, but in some places it does.






    share|improve this answer
























    • HIPAA doesn't apply to non-medical people, so unless the OP works for a medical office (and perhaps even if they do), that law won't help anyway.

      – thursdaysgeek
      7 hours ago











    • @thursdaysgeek If a medical office discloses to a specific person or department (at the patient's request) and that entity blabs it through the office, I believe that is actionable. But I'm not a lawyer, you may be correct that it isn't a hippa violation.

      – J. Chris Compton
      7 hours ago











    • @J.ChrisCompton That's not the situation, though. This is the OP voluntarily disclosing information to their boss in a situation that is not (necessarily) one in which the boss has a legal responsibility to protect private health information. It's not a slam-dunk HIPAA case by any stretch, and even if it were I'm not sure the remedy (a fine to the employer, audits of the employer, etc.) would be a satisfying trade for the OP.

      – Upper_Case
      4 hours ago
















    2












    2








    2







    Well, it should be completely confidential.

    I assume you're asking because you don't think that it will be kept confidential.

    There are clear laws in the US (HIPPA) but sometimes the gossip doesn't abide by them - or maybe you are concerned about people overhearing?



    Either way, perhaps you can get a note from the doctor stating that you are not able to work in an office environment comfortably due to a short term medical condition.

    You can try to get them to leave out the diagnosis, or have a note that instructs them to call if they need to know what it is.



    If your company is large enough to have an HR department, then you could approach them and tell them what it is. That way your manager shouldn't know.



    I feel for you, I have worked at places where data sprays out of HR like a firehose. It shouldn't, but in some places it does.






    share|improve this answer













    Well, it should be completely confidential.

    I assume you're asking because you don't think that it will be kept confidential.

    There are clear laws in the US (HIPPA) but sometimes the gossip doesn't abide by them - or maybe you are concerned about people overhearing?



    Either way, perhaps you can get a note from the doctor stating that you are not able to work in an office environment comfortably due to a short term medical condition.

    You can try to get them to leave out the diagnosis, or have a note that instructs them to call if they need to know what it is.



    If your company is large enough to have an HR department, then you could approach them and tell them what it is. That way your manager shouldn't know.



    I feel for you, I have worked at places where data sprays out of HR like a firehose. It shouldn't, but in some places it does.







    share|improve this answer












    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer










    answered 7 hours ago









    J. Chris ComptonJ. Chris Compton

    2,953422




    2,953422













    • HIPAA doesn't apply to non-medical people, so unless the OP works for a medical office (and perhaps even if they do), that law won't help anyway.

      – thursdaysgeek
      7 hours ago











    • @thursdaysgeek If a medical office discloses to a specific person or department (at the patient's request) and that entity blabs it through the office, I believe that is actionable. But I'm not a lawyer, you may be correct that it isn't a hippa violation.

      – J. Chris Compton
      7 hours ago











    • @J.ChrisCompton That's not the situation, though. This is the OP voluntarily disclosing information to their boss in a situation that is not (necessarily) one in which the boss has a legal responsibility to protect private health information. It's not a slam-dunk HIPAA case by any stretch, and even if it were I'm not sure the remedy (a fine to the employer, audits of the employer, etc.) would be a satisfying trade for the OP.

      – Upper_Case
      4 hours ago





















    • HIPAA doesn't apply to non-medical people, so unless the OP works for a medical office (and perhaps even if they do), that law won't help anyway.

      – thursdaysgeek
      7 hours ago











    • @thursdaysgeek If a medical office discloses to a specific person or department (at the patient's request) and that entity blabs it through the office, I believe that is actionable. But I'm not a lawyer, you may be correct that it isn't a hippa violation.

      – J. Chris Compton
      7 hours ago











    • @J.ChrisCompton That's not the situation, though. This is the OP voluntarily disclosing information to their boss in a situation that is not (necessarily) one in which the boss has a legal responsibility to protect private health information. It's not a slam-dunk HIPAA case by any stretch, and even if it were I'm not sure the remedy (a fine to the employer, audits of the employer, etc.) would be a satisfying trade for the OP.

      – Upper_Case
      4 hours ago



















    HIPAA doesn't apply to non-medical people, so unless the OP works for a medical office (and perhaps even if they do), that law won't help anyway.

    – thursdaysgeek
    7 hours ago





    HIPAA doesn't apply to non-medical people, so unless the OP works for a medical office (and perhaps even if they do), that law won't help anyway.

    – thursdaysgeek
    7 hours ago













    @thursdaysgeek If a medical office discloses to a specific person or department (at the patient's request) and that entity blabs it through the office, I believe that is actionable. But I'm not a lawyer, you may be correct that it isn't a hippa violation.

    – J. Chris Compton
    7 hours ago





    @thursdaysgeek If a medical office discloses to a specific person or department (at the patient's request) and that entity blabs it through the office, I believe that is actionable. But I'm not a lawyer, you may be correct that it isn't a hippa violation.

    – J. Chris Compton
    7 hours ago













    @J.ChrisCompton That's not the situation, though. This is the OP voluntarily disclosing information to their boss in a situation that is not (necessarily) one in which the boss has a legal responsibility to protect private health information. It's not a slam-dunk HIPAA case by any stretch, and even if it were I'm not sure the remedy (a fine to the employer, audits of the employer, etc.) would be a satisfying trade for the OP.

    – Upper_Case
    4 hours ago







    @J.ChrisCompton That's not the situation, though. This is the OP voluntarily disclosing information to their boss in a situation that is not (necessarily) one in which the boss has a legal responsibility to protect private health information. It's not a slam-dunk HIPAA case by any stretch, and even if it were I'm not sure the remedy (a fine to the employer, audits of the employer, etc.) would be a satisfying trade for the OP.

    – Upper_Case
    4 hours ago













    0














    You can get a ring cushion for your seat and honestly people won't care. The issue is something that affects 1 in 3 people and it is as mentioned simply boring. Just keep it in your drawer and be discreet about it, although I have seen people openly leave it on their chairs and we thought nothing of it (actually felt sorry for her as she was pregnant).



    Or ask for a standup desk.



    Unfortunately it is not a problem that will go away anytime soon (dont ask me how I know this please) so you have to learn to live with it and working from home every day will probably not be a good long term solution.



    Trust me this is not a topic people will willingly want to discuss or tell each other about.






    share|improve this answer




























      0














      You can get a ring cushion for your seat and honestly people won't care. The issue is something that affects 1 in 3 people and it is as mentioned simply boring. Just keep it in your drawer and be discreet about it, although I have seen people openly leave it on their chairs and we thought nothing of it (actually felt sorry for her as she was pregnant).



      Or ask for a standup desk.



      Unfortunately it is not a problem that will go away anytime soon (dont ask me how I know this please) so you have to learn to live with it and working from home every day will probably not be a good long term solution.



      Trust me this is not a topic people will willingly want to discuss or tell each other about.






      share|improve this answer


























        0












        0








        0







        You can get a ring cushion for your seat and honestly people won't care. The issue is something that affects 1 in 3 people and it is as mentioned simply boring. Just keep it in your drawer and be discreet about it, although I have seen people openly leave it on their chairs and we thought nothing of it (actually felt sorry for her as she was pregnant).



        Or ask for a standup desk.



        Unfortunately it is not a problem that will go away anytime soon (dont ask me how I know this please) so you have to learn to live with it and working from home every day will probably not be a good long term solution.



        Trust me this is not a topic people will willingly want to discuss or tell each other about.






        share|improve this answer













        You can get a ring cushion for your seat and honestly people won't care. The issue is something that affects 1 in 3 people and it is as mentioned simply boring. Just keep it in your drawer and be discreet about it, although I have seen people openly leave it on their chairs and we thought nothing of it (actually felt sorry for her as she was pregnant).



        Or ask for a standup desk.



        Unfortunately it is not a problem that will go away anytime soon (dont ask me how I know this please) so you have to learn to live with it and working from home every day will probably not be a good long term solution.



        Trust me this is not a topic people will willingly want to discuss or tell each other about.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered 3 hours ago









        solarflaresolarflare

        5,67721333




        5,67721333






















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