What Your Boss Is Allowed to Ask
Your boss's natural reaction may be to ask what is wrong, but you are under no obligation to provide details of your illness. Many times, employers ask partly out of concern for your well-being and partly to gauge how long they will need to cover your shifts or workload. To address the latter concern, let your employer know when you expect to return, if possible.
“Organizations do have the option of asking for a doctor’s note,” Pruitt-Haynes says. For instance, some businesses use a three-day rule and request verification from a doctor after three days' absence.
If you need to take an extended medical leave, you may have to fill out paperwork to qualify for the job protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act, more commonly known as FMLA. However, even in these situations, medical information should be kept confidential by your company's human resources department and does not need to be disclosed to a supervisor or coworkers.