Like Tree3Likes

Health Privacy

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323

    Health Privacy

    Can I get some feedback from any locals on here?

    I have come across this before - a general feeling that "health issues" are not considered private in the same way here as they are in Western cultures. I now have a staff issue to deal with where this has also come up, and any insight into the way locals feel about health issue-privacy would be helpful so that I can speak to my (local) staff member in a way they might understand.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Clear Water Bay (In Da Jungle)
    Posts
    9,968

    You mean they shouldnt talk about their health issues openly???
    Or they shouldnt be talking about other staff members health issues openly???


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323
    Quote Originally Posted by wtbhotia:
    You mean they shouldnt talk about their health issues openly???
    Or they shouldnt be talking about other staff members health issues openly???
    The latter. This staff member (who is in admin) was in possession of another persons information and did not keep it appropriately private.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Clear Water Bay (In Da Jungle)
    Posts
    9,968
    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    The latter. This staff member (who is in admin) was in possession of another persons information and did not keep it appropriately private.
    Ah then that should be dealt seriously, regardless local or not, no one wants their private medical issues being leaked out/discussed with others.

    Seems your admin is the gossip type.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323
    Quote Originally Posted by wtbhotia:
    Ah then that should be dealt seriously, regardless local or not, no one wants their private medical issues being leaked out/discussed with others.

    Seems your admin is the gossip type.
    It wasn't gossip it was something else. But I don't think you are local are you? I think most expats see this similarly... I really wanted to see if there was any insight into local views on this (recognising this is an expat website .. but I know a few of you have local wives or are local yourselves).

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    薄扶林
    Posts
    47,963

    People who have access to such info (health, payroll etc) should be under a special NDA which makes it a fireable offence.

    Check the privacy Ordinance and check your contracts which hopefully have a termination clause for breaking the law.

    HK_Katherine likes this.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Clear Water Bay (In Da Jungle)
    Posts
    9,968

    I have a local wife, works in a hospital (admin), deals with patients records

    HK_Katherine likes this.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    薄扶林
    Posts
    47,963

    And in a local perspective, I worked for a large multinational and several managers and Accountants were under specific contracts which made things easier.

    Sometimes people don't know what is right and wrong, but as an employer or business owner you need to limit your liability.

    HK_Katherine likes this.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323
    Quote Originally Posted by shri:
    And in a local perspective, I worked for a large multinational and several managers and Accountants were under specific contracts which made things easier.

    Sometimes people don't know what is right and wrong, but as an employer or business owner you need to limit your liability.
    Thanks. This gave me exactly the right idea for how to deal with this. I've just put the person in charge of reviewing the Privacy Ordinance and recommending how to ensure we abide by it. (it was an inadvertent slip but one that probably would not have happened if the person had been a westerner....hence my desire to understand culture... but I think this is a better approach). Thank Shri. Good ideas.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    12,323

    Hmm.

    The law is not helping me much!


Closed Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast