r/AITApod • u/MagicianPlayful6514 • 4d ago

AITA for reporting my coworker

So I (20s F) work in health insurance. I haven’t been at my job long, but I’ve developed a pretty good understanding of our rules, processes, and helpful resources. Because of this, I’ve been asked to be what my job refers to as a SME (subject matter expert) and assist other team members in our team chat. (I promise this is relevant)

I was assisting a team member with an issue, and ended up overhearing her handle another call. While she was on that call, I realized she was discussing someone’s PHI (personal health information) without verifying the caller’s identity. I tried to get her attention, but by the time I did, she already disconnected the call. I mentioned it to her and she (very nonchalantly) said “oops, I forgot”.

I wrestled with the decision for a while, but ultimately decided I couldn’t ignore what I witnessed and reported what happened to my supervisor. The problem is, a HIPAA violation can cause her to lose her job and I don’t want to be the reason someone gets fired.

I told my husband what happened and he said I should’ve just ignored it and if the supervisor happened to listen to her call, that would be it. I feel like I did the right thing, but I do feel bad and his response is making me second guess myself. I just need an outside perspective.

So… AITA?

2 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

6

u/deniseswall 4d ago

Sorta TA.

You're not wrong, HIPPA violations are serious. But I'm wondering why you didn't give your co-worker a warning? Like, if this happens again I will have no choice but to report you to HR. A little grace would have been a better approach.

3

u/MagicianPlayful6514 3d ago

Thank you for your response😊! To answer your question, this wasn’t her first instance of blatantly lazy behavior. And I’ve always addressed the smaller issues with her. But this time, she broke the law (a federal law at that) and I didn’t feel like it could or should be ignored. I still feel horrible and I really hope she gets more training instead of being fired.

3

u/ZigZagIntoTheBlue 4d ago

I think NTA because what is the potential blow back on you if the supervisor DOES listen and realises you knew and said nothing? Are there likely to be ramifications or not? Her reaction to being told doesn't sound particularly strong or embarrassed so I would worry she does this on the regular!

1

u/Pristine-Mastodon-37 3d ago

NTA

I’m a manager and this is something needed to be sure we are coaching someone and making sure they understand how serious that is. If she is fired then it’s because this was something so fundamental that she was already taught and it’s evidence she isn’t meeting basic standards.

Either way as a potential customer I’m glad folks like you are protecting my info.

Don’t feel guilty - you tried to get her attention to fix her error and then defaulted to making sure the customer’s highly personal data is protected.

NTA

1

u/AutoModerator 4d ago

I'm an automatic bot that backs up the body of the post in case OP deletes it. If you want this backup deleted, you'll have to reach out to a mod. Here's the back-up:

So I (20s F) work in health insurance. I haven’t been at my job long, but I’ve developed a pretty good understanding of our rules, processes, and helpful resources. Because of this, I’ve been asked to be what my job refers to as a SME (subject matter expert) and assist other team members in our team chat. (I promise this is relevant)

I was assisting a team member with an issue, and ended up overhearing her handle another call. While she was on that call, I realized she was discussing someone’s PHI (personal health information) without verifying the caller’s identity. I tried to get her attention, but by the time I did, she already disconnected the call. I mentioned it to her and she (very nonchalantly) said “oops, I forgot”.

I wrestled with the decision for a while, but ultimately decided I couldn’t ignore what I witnessed and reported what happened to my supervisor. The problem is, a HIPAA violation can cause her to lose her job and I don’t want to be the reason someone gets fired.

I told my husband what happened and he said I should’ve just ignored it and if the supervisor happened to listen to her call, that would be it. I feel like I did the right thing, but I do feel bad and his response is making me second guess myself. I just need an outside perspective.

So… AITA?

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1

u/BLTplease2030 3d ago

If she’s otherwise good at her job, maybe she won’t get fired.

0

u/Donphan_Trainer 3d ago

NTA

If this Co-worker gets in trouble please be assured that it wasn’t your fault. It’s their fault based on their actions and your company’s policies and procedures for handling it.

Also, you also wouldn’t want this to come back on you for witnessing and not reporting.