Most employees expect that if they share something medical at work, it will be handled with discretion. You might tell HR about a diagnosis because you need time off. You might explain a limitation to a supervisor because you need an adjustment to do your job. You might provide documentation because you are required to do so under a policy.
What you do not expect is to hear your health information repeated in the hallway, hinted at in meetings, or passed around like workplace trivia.
Yet it happens all the time in ways that are easy to deny. A manager tries to “explain” your absence and says too much. Someone who should not know suddenly knows. Coworkers start asking questions you never invited them to ask. The tone shifts. People treat you differently, not because of your performance, but because of what they think your condition means.
In New York, that is not just unprofessional; it is illegal. It can create severe legal exposure for an employer, especially when the gossip leads to biased treatment or punishment.
Medical information changes how people see you. Once your health becomes a topic, some employers start making assumptions. They decide you are unreliable. They stop putting you on key assignments. They treat you as fragile, distracted, or disposable. In some workplaces, the gossip is followed by jokes, comments, or quiet exclusion that makes you feel watched and judged.
New York City and New York State law both prohibit discrimination based on disability, and both define disability broadly. Protection can apply even when an employer acts on a perceived medical condition, not just a formal diagnosis. If your employer treats you worse because of a health condition, or because it thinks you have one, the law can apply.
Employees also ask the same question again and again. Is it illegal for my boss to share my medical information?
The honest answer is that not every disclosure triggers the same legal rule, and the label people often use, HIPAA, usually does not govern what most employers do in their role as employers. HIPAA generally applies to covered health care entities, not everyday workplace management. But that does not mean an employer can treat medical information as office conversation. Medical details that come up through accommodations, leave discussions, or HR processes should be limited to those with a legitimate need to know. When information spreads beyond that, it often becomes fuel for discrimination and retaliation, and it can implicate other legal obligations depending on the situation.
This is where many cases begin. An employee discloses a condition. The information spreads. The employee is treated differently. Opportunities disappear. The employee complains. Then the employer claims it is all unrelated.
New York City law looks at whether you were treated less well because of disability or perceived disability, with only a narrow carve-out for petty slights or trivial inconveniences. New York State law also prohibits disability discrimination and retaliation. And retaliation protections can be fundamental here, because many employees face backlash after requesting accommodations, taking medical leave, or raising concerns about inappropriate comments.
Retaliation does not have to look dramatic. It can show up as a sudden shift in scheduling, a change in workload, exclusion from meetings, harsher scrutiny, or a new narrative that you are not committed. Under New York City law, retaliation includes conduct that would reasonably discourage someone from exercising their rights. In plain terms, the law is designed to prevent employers from turning a medical disclosure into a reason to sideline you, pressure you, or push you out.
There is also a practical point that matters. Even if a manager claims the disclosure was accidental, the employer can still be responsible for what happens next. Once the information is released, the company must prevent it from becoming a basis for unequal treatment. If supervisors participate in, tolerate, or allow gossip to shape decisions about assignments and discipline, the legal risk increases quickly.
If you suspect your medical information has become office gossip, you do not have to confront the situation immediately. Start by paying attention to what changed. How did you learn the information spread, who said what, and when the shift began? Keep a private timeline of dates, conversations, and changes in responsibilities or tone. A personal log of your own experiences is lawful. If you preserve communications, avoid saving confidential or proprietary business materials. When you are unsure what is appropriate to keep, speaking with an attorney first can help you avoid accidental policy or confidentiality problems.
The larger issue is this. No employee should have to choose between getting medical care and protecting their reputation at work. You should not be punished for requesting an accommodation. You should not be sidelined because someone decided your condition makes you less valuable. And you should not have your health turned into a workplace storyline.
At Risman and Risman, P.C., we speak with New Yorkers every week who were treated differently after their medical information became known at work. We help employees understand whether the disclosure led to discrimination or retaliation, and what steps they can take to protect their careers and dignity.
If your medical information has become office gossip, or if you believe you are being treated differently because of a health condition, contact us for a free confidential consultation at 212-233-6400 or online.