Listing Reasons for OK’ing Employee Absences = Privacy Violation

A newly implemented electronic scheduling program listed detailed information about approved leave of each employee in a work unit, including reasons for leave. The company contended that making this information available enabled employees in the unit to swap shifts with their co-workers. But employees said it was a privacy violation and the Commissioner agreed. Transparency to ease scheduling is all well and good, but listing the reasons for an employee’s approved leave, e.g., medical care, family illness, etc., was an unwarranted disclosure of personal information, the Commission ruled [PIPEDA Case Summary # 2014-014,  May 19, 2015].