I have a disability which I take medication for by law do I have to tell work ?
The reason I would like to know is that there have been several data breaches at my work & am worried incase the whole workplace knows my business.

Carl wrote:
I have a disability which I take medication for by law do I have to tell work ?
The reason I would like to know is that there have been several data breaches at my work & am worried incase the whole workplace knows my business.

Im not actually too clued up on this but im pretty sure you dont need to tell anyone unless your operating heavy machinery etc... but I may be wrong

Thanks not sure either as I have taken many opioids & not had to disclose that & they are much worse than cannabis

Just found this hope it helps anyone else who is worried
10:49
100'
By UK law, you do not generally have to tell your employer what specific medication you take or disclose a disability. O Acas +1
General Disclosure Rules
• No legal requirement: You are not legally required to tell your employer you are disabled or provide details about your prescribed medications. e
• Equality Act 2010: You do not have to share your medical history to be protected by the Equality Act 2010, though your
Ask anything
Q uk law do i need to tell me employer

Hi Carl! 😊

That's actually a really good question, and I completely understand your concerns, especially if your workplace has already experienced data breaches! 🫣

The short answer is no, you're not automatically legally required to tell your employer about a disability or prescribed medication. However, there are some important exceptions.

Under the Equality Act 2010, disabled employees have legal protections, including the right to reasonable adjustments where applicable.

Where things become a little more complicated is the type of work you do.

For example, if you're operating heavy machinery, driving for work or doing something where medication could affect safety, there may be a requirement to disclose relevant information. Your employment contract and workplace policies can also contain reporting requirements.

Now, regarding your privacy...

Your medical information is classed as special category data under UK GDPR. This means your employer must have appropriate safeguards in place, and access should be restricted to people who genuinely need that information.

Your entire workplace certainly doesn't have an automatic right to know your medical history!

Given the previous data breaches, I'd personally want to know exactly who would have access to my information, where it would be stored and how it would be protected before sharing anything.

Can I ask what type of work you do, Carl?

You don't need to tell us who you work for or share anything personal. Just a general idea of your job would help us explain which rules might apply to you.

I'm not legally qualified, so I wouldn't want to give you a blanket yes or no without knowing a little more.

The last thing we want is to tell you that you don't need to disclose something, only for your particular job to have specific safety requirements! 🤣💚