Excessive information requests.

ScouseMouse

What information does an employer have the right to request from staff?

I was looking at a form the other day and among the details requested of DOB, PPS etc etc, was a strange one. "do you hold a full medical card, - please attach a copy"

Surely that's none of an employers business. Who polices requests like this? The Dpc maybe?

Thanks all.

Addle

Does your employer pay health insurance?

In the early days of the income levy/USC the employer needed to know if you had a medical card to tax you on the lower rates. But this was rife with abuse, so Revenue changed to providing the rates for each employee on the P2C. If they are still looking for the information it is a breach of the data protection act, with GDPR coming in the next few months it had gotten so strict that Revenue are now no longer allowed to tell the employer if an employees has received Illness Benefit.

ScouseMouse

Tow wrote: »

In the early days of the income levy/USC the employer needed to know if you had a medical card to tax you on the lower rates. But this was rife with abuse, so Revenue changed to providing the rates for each employee on the P2C. If they are still looking for the information it is a breach of the data protection act, with GDPR coming in the next few months it had gotten so strict that Revenue are now no longer allowed to tell the employer if an employees has received Illness Benefit.

Interesting angle. I rang the Data Protection office and they seemed to think it was not appropriate and suggested we ask on what grounds this information is relevant.
Think we will just send the form back marked N/A. It appears everyone else is doing that. I am guessing they are just behind in their understanding of what is and isnt required.

Thanks all.

coylemj

Your prospective employer may provide some medical benefits like paying for prescriptions for short-term illnesses. If the employee has a medical card then they would need to know this, lest they start paying for drugs that you are entitled to get for free.

There are all sorts of reasons for having a medical card, it does not necessarily mean that you are poor. I don't know why you feel that you do not want to disclose the fact if you do have a medical card.

ohnonotgmail

coylemj wrote: »

Your prospective employer may provide some medical benefits like paying for prescriptions for short-term illnesses. If the employee has a medical card then they would need to know this, lest they start paying for drugs that you are entitled to get for free.

There are all sorts of reasons for having a medical card, it does not necessarily mean that you are poor. I don't know why you feel that you do not want to disclose the fact if you do have a medical card.

how would this work? Any such system would have to be on a receipted expenses basis. There is no receipt provided for medication dispensed on a medical card.

coylemj

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

how would this work? Any such system would have to be on a receipted expenses basis. There is no receipt provided for medication dispensed on a medical card.

I worked for a multinational company which provided this benefit, the drugs were dispensed by a local pharmacy which billed the company directly.

ScouseMouse

Thats a very interesting angle. The actual situation is a takeover of staff from one company to another under the TUPE regualations (I think that is the name of it).

I would be surprised if the new company offered free tea and coffee, never mind any medical benefits.

We shall see anyway. It is an interesting subject I think.

ohnonotgmail

coylemj wrote: »

I worked for a multinational company which provided this benefit, the drugs were dispensed by a local pharmacy which billed the company directly.

but the prescription would be given on a medical card prescription form. there would be nothing to be billed for.

Fred Swanson

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L1011

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

but the prescription would be given on a medical card prescription form. there would be nothing to be billed for.

If they also provided a company doctor / occupational health (which is likely enough if they do prescription cover) they would probably not issue GMS scripts. Barring emergencies you need GMS scripts to get medical card dispensing

The number of firms doing this is tiny though

FizzleSticks

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Robbo

FizzleSticks wrote: »

I do say something like this, as in it is quite minor but still after the GDPR comes in next year you can seek damages for material and non material breaches no matter how big or small. And I assume they will be auditing their currently data collection and later in the year the medical card question may just disappear off that form!

May 25th!

FizzleSticks

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