You're totally right, Scrappy. At my uni, the person sharing the info always does always ask the employee in question; 99.5% of the time the employee says, "Sure, tell anyone who wants to know," (or, "Tell anyone, just don't tell them what room I'm in") but the sharer still gets an explicit okay first.

Specific means we know more or less what will happen and what the prognosis is, etc. Vague just makes us get all flappy-handed with frustration.

Gah. If I'm having any kind of medical procedure done, How Will This Amount Of Information Make My Co-Workers Feel is pretty much at the bottom of the list of my concerns. I don't give two shits if they're frustrated by not knowing, it's still none of their goddamn business.

I would be absolutely furious if ANY details were provided to colleagues about ANY health condition I might have that required me to miss work. ETA: I mean, duh, excluding being out for a day or two because of a cold or something.

ETA: When I had my surgeries scheduled, I wrote the email that went out to pertinent colleagues. I included the information I felt comfortable sharing. That is MY choice to share. Otherwise it's simply between me, my boss, and HR if necessary.

Gah. If I'm having any kind of medical procedure done, How Will This Amount Of Information Make My Co-Workers Feel is pretty much at the bottom of the list of my concerns. I don't give two shits if they're frustrated by not knowing, it's still none of their goddamn business.

It's totally a work-culture and knowledge-base difference; medical people are weird that way (and, at least where I work, very specifically weird--the heart people have no interest in the details of anyone's dental surgery, and nobody wants to get nosy about urologic or oncologic procedures except the other urologists or oncologists; also, people generally butt out unless specifically invited about details on coworkers' partners or kids).

Also, working where we work, you never know when someone might say, "I have a friend at Stanford doing a clinical trial on that exact thing" or "If you can hold out another couple of months, we'll be approved for a trial of this new device/drug that's been saving lives all over Europe" or "Why are you seeing him? He's only a postdoc. The department chair was my residency advisor. If I ask her to see you personally, she'll see you personally."

But all the non-uni places I've worked, or any of the places most of the people I know have worked? "None of their goddamn business" is an excellent rule.

There is a big difference in sharing what is happening with you, hoping to get information about possible assistance, and having someone else share it on your behalf.

I have found tha t health information varies a lot by the size of the place. When I worked at a library of 8 people - I knew a lot , just by being near and counting on them . now with over 50 people - I only know details if it happens to come up in a one on one conversation- and the people involved are talking about it.

There is a big difference in sharing what is happening with you, hoping to get information about possible assistance, and having someone else share it on your behalf.

Yes, this.

Beyond HIPAA legal issues, the idea that my co-workers would be pissed off that I didn't share detailed medical information with them squicks me to no end.

After Hubby's first heart attack, I went back to work and someone I rarely spoke to came up to offer sympathy. I feel kind of bad that instead of thanking her for her concern I snapped, "How did you find out about that? I didn't tell anyone!" I was outraged that something I'd told a supervisor to explain why I didn't come into work had apparently become gossip/interesting information. But then I've been told I need to work on being a "team player" more. Which apparently means "share personal information you generally don't tell blood family with people you occasionally see in the company bathroom."

I think I would feel differently if I worked in an office with a higher-than-usual familiarity with medical things, but here in tech support land, my husband's and my health does not fall under general interest.

Listen, I work in a medical setting. It's not a hospital, but I am surrounded by scientists and doctors and we develop drugs. That should make no difference. Medical information is supposed to be private.

Medical information is supposed to be private

Absolutely, unless it is voluntarily released by the subject.