Comment on FR Doc # E9-20610

I am writing as a health and safety rep for AFGE with respect to the new proposed rules regarding additional time for family medical leave for caring for a family member with HlNL flu. RIN 3206-AL9l. One of AFGE's prime concerns on this issue is with the ifnormation that manaers in the Social Security Administration may be requesting. I write in my role as a National health and SAfety Rep for Council 220 Field Office sSA workers. Several months ago my fellow commitee members and myself spoke to a representative of the Agency's medical office. We noted a number of situations in which SSA management had contacted employee doctors di8rectly. These situations included one in which a manager called a doctor a "b@@@@" when speaking to the medical eprson because the doctor would not give the manager what the manager wanted over the phone. WE have had situations occurring on a similar basis involving employee families etc and these again include manaers speaking directly to employee doctors even one in which the employee's child had the illness. We have had situatins in whichpeople have been denied leave because of so-called work load considerations, told to reschedule operations. We have even had situations in which close relatives have been denied to attend a relative's funeral. We are in an epidemic and we would hope that employees would be given greater flexibility to deal with their own illnesses, a child's illness, a significant other's illness as well as a parent or e3older care. Medical privacy is osmething emphasized in our agency but sadly it does not often occur withr espect to employees. Our comment with respect to the regulations is with the privacy of the workers and the role of confidentiiality in terms of medical procedures with respect to HlN1 flu handled by doctors. We hope that this can be considered in looking at the regulations.