I’m disabled and my employer  told others about my disability. Can he do that? I thought I had rights under the disability act, and I did not want others to know.

Posted 05-27-2014

Ann Kiernan replies:

You are right. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers must keep employee medical information in separate, confidential files, and release that information only to supervisors and managers, who may be told about any necessary restrictions on the duties of the employee and any reasonable accommodations; and to first aid and safety personnel, who may be informed, when appropriate, if the disability might require emergency treatment or if the employee would need assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation.

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.