The policy committee recently had a meeting to discuss several topics, including the sick bank policy. I never applied for sick bank benefits, but it is concerning to see that yet again Hope Blinco oversteps her authority and expertise to try and collect information on staff members.

I went through something similar with an ADA accommodation where Hope Blinco was demanding a blanket release of my medical records to herself. It was quite clear that she has done that for quote some time. The issue is that the law actually prohibits that behavior. There is never a reason to give your employee an open invitation to snoop.

Hope Blinco never was able to explain what she even does with medical files. Anyone that has seen her office knows that she doesn’t store employee records correctly or securely, so any medical information should be suspect in general, even if she didn’t have a historical trend of overstepping her right to information.

I went through the ADA issue twice. Even after was told the law, provided proof of the law after first time she attempted to heist my information (likely for her own gain), she intentionally chose to try and get the same information from me the second time. I guess she thought I forgot what the law was.

The issue with the sick bank application is there are a number of undertones to it. Just the optics of wanting this information is shameful. Imagine having something like cancer, and then the Human Resource Manager and Superintendent become aware of that along with a committee with no expertise to understand the issue. Now imagine that your diagnosis will drive up the insurance premiums, and now they know that assisting you with staying will cost them.

The additional undertone to this request, is who does this committee think they are to determine if someone is worthy, or deserves the leave? There are no assurances that you won’t be declined leave because the prognosis is not great when another applicant will likely make a full recovery.

It almost becomes a death panel of leave. I personally would not want a committee of non-doctors assessing whether I deserve leave, or if I should be declined because might pass away with or without leave. It is quite disgusting, and it is clear who has benefitted from the information that she wants this committee to collect.