Lawsuit Claims City Violated CPD Employees’ Rights
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Sick Leave Lawsuit
Did the City of Columbus violate the privacy rights of more than 1,000 employees with the division of police?
Did the City of Columbus violate the privacy rights of more than 1,000 employees with the division of police?
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Did the City of Columbus violate the privacy rights of more than 1,000 employees with the division of police?
A federal lawsuit claims just that and a ruling Thursday could eventually carry a $6 million price tag for the already cash-strapped city.
The lawsuit claims a section of the city’s sick leave policy violates the constitutional rights of the police department’s employees. The city claims it is a legitimate effort to stop sick leave abuse.
A federal judge permanently blocked the policy Thursday.
NBC 4‘s Colleen Marshall spoke to attorneys from both sides of the case and learned that despite the injunction, the case is far from over.
The sick leave policy requires police department employees who take three sick days in a row to produce a written doctor’s excuse with a detailed description of the nature of their illness.
The note doesn’t go to Human Resources, however. It goes to the worker’s immediate supervisor.
The lawsuit claims more than 1,000 employees had to reveal personal medical information to supervisors, who sometimes openly discussed their private information with other department personnel and even made jokes about their illnesses.
Attorney Michael Moore said his clients were humiliated by the outrageous behavior and he believes the city should pay $3,000 for each of the 2,000 doctor’s excuses that were handed over to supervisors.
The fine would amount to $6 million for the financially-troubled city, but Moore said, “We don’t really care. Our clients are victims here and there are 1,000 of them. The city should have never engaged in what they had to know was a constitutional violation.“
Pamela Gordan is handling the case for the city attorney’s office.
“I am still reviewing it. We think that the City of Columbus had an appropriate and strong legal position,“ Gordan said.
She said the city will appeal the injunction and will fight any effort to compensate workers who were required to produce a doctor’s excuse for sick time.
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Reader Reactions
Has anybody really looked at this suite? First, if there is that much information on the excuse from the doctor, then why is it not directed towards the doctor for disclousure,(or) if you have volunteered any information to your supervisor about your illness, this should not be a law suite, it should be a disipline matter with the department. These should be the only ways to know illness information. No law suite, work it out.
where is the heads of the leaders running this city, I mean come on, you didn’t see a lawsuit coming? Really? Wow, another prime example of why a NO vote is needed on issue 1. 6 million dollars wasted if the laysuit goes the way i feel it will go. WOW, this is really sad… maybe the police can sale the new helicoptor they purchased to pay off the lawsuit.
For those of you who cant read the lawsuit isnt about a doctors note. Its about disclosing private medical information to supervisors directly. This alone is against the law and this lawsuit has been ongoing much longer than you may think. Rude and lazy city workers? Really? Sounds like you have had a negative expierence with a city employee. Im guessing you have not talked to ever city worker because not all city workers are as you described, so therefore you cannot say ALL. Hey, by the way, provide me your name and the next time you call my city entity I will cheerfully hang up you and continue with my crossword.
The lawyers usually get a third - so they will have $2 mil of income from this case. Taxed at 2% that would be $40,000; at 2.5% it would be $50,000. So it will not actually cost the city $6 mil, more like $5,950,000. Feel better?
Now if a police cruiser or fire truck crashes into your car and they are at fault the city says sovereign immunity - you get nothing. Why not sovereign immunity here?
Doesn’t CPD have an HR department? How ramshackle to not have known this. What else don’t they know or other city departments as well. The big joke about lazy rude city workers is not so funny not that the city is broke and wantintg more money to patch things up for a period of time. They NEED to get their act together across the board. Honestly.
CPD should have thought about doing this and they’ve just added to the reason why there will be layoffs. As a federal employee we are under the same rule of turning a doctors note in after 3 consecutive days. It is there for reason - PEOPLE ABUSE SICK LEAVE then when a real emergency happens they are begging for “advance sick leave” which allows them to go into a negative balance (in other words - a debt). Advance leaves are at the discretion of managment and not always approved then the employee is “leave without pay”. Go ahead and find out how many of the those absences were after or before a weekend or even after a holiday. That is what we see most of all with people who abuse sick leave. If managment disclosed illness of employees that is a clear violation and they should be put on suspension, counseled or demoted. Tax payers should not have to responsible for these individuals.
Tax increase?? My vote is no! Obviously the government isn’t working when something so stupid as this requirement is put into effect, and our government in all of its bureaucratic glory doesn’t realize that maybe they’re trampling on someone’s rights. Or a lot of peoples’ rights for that matter. Cut the government back, and then maybe you won’t have so many fumbling idiots approving requirements that cost the taxpayers $6 million.
To bad this wasn’t nipped in the bud before it got to 1000. Very sad for Columbus. Well at least some of the police officers will get a raise.
OH NOOO! What are you going to do now Clown Coleman?
Clown Coleman = FAIL
The argument isn’t the doctors note but who received the doctors note and the lack of privacy there after.
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