Secretary who accessed patient records without authorisation lost her job – district court upheld dismissal
A former department secretary demanded over €50,000 in compensation, but the district court found the dismissal justified. The woman had viewed the medical records of 72 patients without a work-related reason.
Secretary who accessed patient records without authorisation lost her job – district court upheld dismissal
A former office worker at the Varsinais-Suomi wellbeing region lost her job following a criminal conviction. The woman took the matter to court and demanded over €50,000 in compensation, but the district court rejected her claim.
The woman initially worked in a hospital district, where she examined the health records of 72 people without a justified reason. The offences occurred in 2020–2021. She later transferred to a similar position at another healthcare organisation, Varha.
A criminal conviction came in 2025. In February, her employment was terminated. The woman argued that she had been dismissed unfairly. She emphasised that she had performed her duties in her new workplace without criticism and stressed that the offences had taken place in her previous employment.
The claim also noted that Varha holds an almost monopoly position in the sector, which made it difficult for the woman to find employment. She demanded a sum equivalent to 21 months' salary.
According to the employer, the woman had herself submitted a resignation notice. In court, it emerged that an employer representative had incorrectly told the woman that by resigning she would avoid having a dismissal notation on her employment certificate. The woman later attempted to withdraw her notice.
The court found that the woman had in fact been dismissed, since her resignation was based on misleading information. Nevertheless, the court considered the decision to terminate employment to be justified.
The woman was found to have committed serious dishonesty affecting a large number of people. Since she continued to handle sensitive patient records, trust between employer and employee had been seriously undermined. According to the court, the employer could not continue the employment relationship.
The decision may be appealed to the court of appeal.
Source: Yle
Source: Yle Uutiset