Organization guide
Employee mental health confidentiality: a practical HR guide
What HR and managers should ask, record and share after a mental health disclosure, with a practical data-minimization framework for the workplace.
Separate medical data from workplace information
A diagnosis, treatment or medical record should not become ordinary HR management data. HR can document a request, an organizational decision and the workplace actions required.
Use a purpose test before every disclosure
Each recipient should need the information to perform a defined action. Speaking to HR does not create blanket permission to share.
- Which action requires this information?
- What is the minimum useful detail?
- Who will receive it and for how long?
Record decisions without medical interpretation
Document observable facts, requests, actions, owners and deadlines. Avoid speculation about symptoms, prognosis or medical capacity.
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Frequently asked questions
Should HR record the diagnosis?
No. Keep the workplace request and decision, while medical information stays within the appropriate confidential health route.
What can be shared with a manager?
Only what the manager needs to carry out agreed workplace actions, without unnecessary medical detail.
How should HR take notes?
Record the professional request, decision, owner and review date. Exclude clinical interpretations.