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Someone at work disclosed that I have a support worker

Cookiesmum1986

I don't know what it is with my work. 

I'm working with a support worker through access to work to try and make my working environment a bit more autism friendly. I've only told my manager about this directly and she's obviously told my supervisor as I need time to actually speak to said support worker. As I work in the nhs patient facing the whole process is done by phone. 

I was working on Saturday and my colleague asked how I was getting on with my support worker. I answered in a neutral sort of way because I wasn't expecting the question and I was in the middle of a work task. 

I don't know who would have told her, it's not like she could have worked it out by seeing him as he's never here. I take the calls in another area and it's not strange for me to take calls at work because I have hospital appointments and university stuff that happens by phone too. 

If my manager told her it would have been because she's assumed that I've already told her (she's the first person I disclosed my autism to without needing to), if my supervisor disclosed then I'm not sure what that would have been about. 

Now I'm worried that more people know about me than I am aware of and it's making me wonder who knows what and why people are talking about it. 

I can't ask my colleague who told her because she is off all week on annual leave. I don't think I could ask my supervisor because we have a terrible relationship, I don't work on the same site as my manager and I don't think this is a conversation for email or phone because people take my tone differently than I expect them to. 

So I'm not sure what to do. I obviously can't undo what's happened but I'd like to know the reasoning and I'm not sure how I'd find that out without making people turn on me. 

Parents

  • i would do nothing. U could complain, make a formal complaint  and sue for breach confidentiality/personal data blaa blaa blaaa   ..... dont  bother.

    I assume most people now know about me via word of mouth, friendships, informal meetings, emails/facebook/phone/management meetings whatever. 

    If u do take action no one will want to work with u at all, or reluctant to, they will be scared to in case u complain about them.

    Unless the organisation u r in, is into lock down of information,  and serious about it,  then information always moves.

    I know its not nice when someone surprises u,,, but dont be afraid to ask them how they know stuff about you but  in a nice way.

    Feel free to ignore me.

  • in reply to aidie

    I'm not sure how I feel if I'm honest. I don't mind that she knows because I'd have probably told her anyway. I'm more worried that my supervisor is telling people I'm autistic because I'm not "out" at work.

  • in reply to Cookiesmum1986

    I completely understand your concern. It isn't nice believing that people are talking behind your back, sadly I have come to the conclusion that pretty much everybody does it :(

    The only thing I can suggest is maybe to monitor the situation; if nothing changes, then there are one of two ways to look at it - one, your overthinking things and no one is talking about you, or number two, they have been told about your autism but are just not bothered and see you as you. Either way, its a positive. Unfortunately, if you do begin to notice people being different around you, that's a different ball game and a lot harder to just "ignore" or "explain away". I really hope that it is the latter, you overthinking things. I do this alot, and even though I know that I am doing it, I continue to do so! 

    Good Luck, I hope it dies down and you are able to continue to work in a friendly enviroment that is right for you.

    x

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  • in reply to Cookiesmum1986

    I completely understand your concern. It isn't nice believing that people are talking behind your back, sadly I have come to the conclusion that pretty much everybody does it :(

    The only thing I can suggest is maybe to monitor the situation; if nothing changes, then there are one of two ways to look at it - one, your overthinking things and no one is talking about you, or number two, they have been told about your autism but are just not bothered and see you as you. Either way, its a positive. Unfortunately, if you do begin to notice people being different around you, that's a different ball game and a lot harder to just "ignore" or "explain away". I really hope that it is the latter, you overthinking things. I do this alot, and even though I know that I am doing it, I continue to do so! 

    Good Luck, I hope it dies down and you are able to continue to work in a friendly enviroment that is right for you.

    x

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