Is it legal for your bosses to tell each other jokes about your mental illness?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Is it legal for your bosses to tell each other jokes about your mental illness?
In September 2016 I had to stay in an in-patient mental health institution because I had a breakdown due to all the stress I’m under in my work life and personal life. I have 3 bosses that I report to so I had my assistant call them and explain what was going on and to let them know I would be out for a week due to a mental breakdown. This week, on Tuesday, January 10, 2017, I had to go to the doctor for a severe sinus infection. I emailed all 3 of my bosses and told them that I had to go to the doctor and didn’t know if I would be back that day or not and that my assistant was there and in charge. I didn’t make it back to the office on Tuesday because I was feeling to bad to go back in. I was off work the following day. When I went into work today, Thursday, January 12, 2017 I had an email from one of my bosses. I opened it and read his reply to it. I believe it wasn’t meant to be sent to me because it said,
Asked on January 12, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Missouri
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
The law makes it illegal to harass or discriminate against an employee due to disability, including mental illness. But it's not illegal to privately tell jokes or make comments about an employee as long as they are not directed to the employee and he does not suffer any negative employment consequences. You intercepted accidentally a private communication, so it's not harassment of you; therefore if you do not suffer any negative consequences at work, there is no legal claim or cause of action. Keep the email, however, as evidence of their attitude in case you later do experience harassment or suffer any negative job consequences.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.