Employee Gets Fired For Illegally Accessing Newly-Married Colleague's Medical Records To Find Her Address, Visit, And Gift Her Used Cookware

"Update: My coworker had accessed my medical records 5 times within a week. They terminated her employment on the spot."

Chelsi

• Published in Interesting
• April 28, 2024

A lot of things happened in succession to a 30-year-old. OP and her boyfriend eloped and settled into their dream home.

The newlyweds closed on their home a month before their wedding. Their house is a lake-front property on a new development.

Their home is fully furnished. So, unlike other newlyweds, OP and her husband had everything they needed to start their lives together.

OP's coworkers expressed their intention to throw her a belated bridal shower. OP said she was happy to celebrate and party with them.

She informed her coworkers that they didn't need to bring gifts to the party. Her coworkers got curious as to why OP was so adamant about not receiving gifts.

She explained that she and her husband honestly did not need anything. This went against the typical culture from where Op is from of bringing newlyweds a few small appliances to complete their supposed sparsely-furnished home.

OP's had everything she needed in her home. Anything she or her husband wanted, they could buy with their money.

Her coworkers offered no objections to OP's explanations. The party was thrown, and everyone had a great time celebrating OP's milestones.

This made the events a few days later even more confusing. A coworker who did not attend the party randomly showed up in front of OP's house with 3 trash bags full of used houseware.

She told OP she knew how difficult it was for newlyweds when they were starting. The items, her coworker explained, were to help OP and her husband get back on their feet.

Her coworker added that she was supposed to have a garage sale to sell those items. She changed her mind and thought someone in need would have better use for them.

OP had no relationship with this person. They avoided interacting with each other most days. OP didn't know how her coworker got her address but saved the issue for later.

OP declined the offer and said her coworker should give them to someone in need as she intended.

After a short back and forth, OP offered to take the used housewares to a local charity if her coworker couldn't.

She called OP rude and left the 3 bags. OP planned to donate the items — the weird ordeal would at least help survivors of abuse.

Is it a weird powerplay? Why would she treat OP's house as a recycling center?

Did she go through all this trouble to condescend to OP?

Her insistence that OP and her husband must be struggling because they are newlyweds is bizarre.

She should have listened to OP the first time she declined her used cookware.

The coworker was convinced OP needed her help and refused to listen to reason. That was not OP's fault.

The troubling part was how she obtained OP's new address.

They don't have a relationship, professional or otherwise. How did she get OP's address?

Was it the result of skillful internet sleuthing?

It wasn't. OP's privacy was violated.

They work in healthcare. Her coworker and her sis-in-law accessed OP's medical records. They found her address through those. The coworker and her SIL were terminated on the spot.

OP and her husband were so worried it wasn't just what the coworker had done. They immediately donated the coworker's used items.

OP and her husband have every reason to feel paranoid. If her coworker was willing to illegally access OP's medical and company records, what else would she be willing to do?

Why was she so determined to find OP's address only to drop off her used cookware? OP did not post further updates but said they were looking into getting a restraining order from her coworker.

Chelsi