legality of forcing someone to do something that makes them uncomfortable
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Anonymous
| Hi all. My friend asked me this question last night, and I couldn't answer it so she said I could post here. She is an admin at a doctors office that now has to comply with new Medicare policies about information they want. Some of that information involves asking race and ethnicity when booking appointments on the phone. This information can be gathered when the patient comes in for an appt but her boss wants it beforehand. She had a meeting with him yesterday where she was reprimanded for not getting the information. She told her boss it made her extremely uncomfortable to ask and she'd prefer to get the information from the form they fill out at the time of their appt. His response was if she didn't start asking on the phone she'd be written up. So, is it legal to force someone to ask those questions. I know she's looking to quit but right now needs the money |
Anonymous
| Yes, it is legal for her employer to request this of her and of course they can write her up if she refuses to comply. |
Anonymous
| Uh, yes. All she has to say if someone questions her is "Medicare policies require we ask for this information, I'm sorry." |
Anonymous
| Why does it make her uncomfortable to being with? Asking someone what race they are is no different than asking them what gender they are. This is just plain stupid. |
Anonymous
| Agree with PPs. Absurd. You say I'm required by ______ to ask these questions and you ask. And I've been asked my ethnicity many times. No issues here. And if anyone gives you any grief, "hey, I'm just doing my job." Such a non-issue! |
Anonymous
| Hey! Don't shoot the messenger lol. I just told her I'd post the question. I think I'll just say the general consensus is yes he can do that. |
Anonymous
|
Your friend is making a mountain out of a molehill.
See above PPs for how to ask. It's just not a big deal, and I seriously doubt anyone that she speaks with is going to care. |
Anonymous
|
OP,
I'm with your friend in that I would feel awkward asking this question. I wonder why her boss is so adamant about this, since it's not a Medicare requirement to get the information by phone at the time of appointment. In any event, she's got to buck up and ask the question over the phone. |
Anonymous
| P.S. I'd be taken aback if my doctor's office asked this of me. How can any of us assume a Medicare patient would not? |
Anonymous
Why? Your race is about as personal as your eye color. Anyone can see it as soon as they look at you and it's neither good or bad. Just is. |
Anonymous
NP here. What is this, 1950? You can't always tell someone's race by looking at them. Mybrother looks white but he's black. And so many people are of mixed races these days. |
Anonymous
You can tell the race more often than not. But you are missing the point. To me asking for a social security number, which no one is actually required to give to the doctor, is more personal, than asking what race I am. |
Anonymous
What's your point? Then your brother would answer biracial. As would any other biracial person being asked the question. Better than having the receptionist guess by looking. |
Anonymous
Yes. This. |
Anonymous
U really cannot be that ignorant that you think u know someone's race just by looking at them... U can guess...but you don't know for sure... How people identify and their racial background is very personal....not necessarily something u can assume by someone's skin color or hair texture. Some questions are tricky...that's why u put that information on forms... Don't ask my race or my sexual history on the phone -- bad practice. I would find another doctor if this was asked of me. |