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The Dutch union for healthcare workers wants nurses and home care workers to no longer be required to display their full names on their work uniforms. Increasingly, people in these fields are facing physical and online aggression and intimidation. And this issue isn’t limited to healthcare alone. Therefore, the union advocates for the use of shortened or fictitious names. But can an employer actually require an employee to wear a badge with their full name?
Fictitious names on workwear to protect employee privacy
When I read this news, I was genuinely surprised. Why should a healthcare worker have to disclose their full name to patients? According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), this isn’t permissible without valid justification. An employer must meet one of the six lawful bases included in the GDPR.
Lawful bases:
- Legitimate interest
- Contractual necessity
- Public interest/public authority
- Consent
- Vital interests
- Legal obligation
Based on these points, it’s not necessary for a healthcare worker to display both their first and last name on workwear. Knowing someone’s name to address them personally may serve a legitimate public interest, but a first or last name alone should be sufficient.
In fact, certain healthcare roles already implement these practices, particularly for employees working with detainees or patients with severe mental health issues. This setup protects their privacy. So why not extend this approach to use just a first or last name—or even a fictitious name—more broadly?
Privacy protection through fictitious names
Aside from the importance of protecting privacy, it’s concerning that this measure is even needed. According to Münire Manisa, a collective bargaining negotiator for the NU’91 healthcare union, the issue is urgent: “Stalking, intimidation, and doxing (the malicious online spread of someone’s personal information) are increasingly common in healthcare.”
Though I don’t work in healthcare myself, I recognize these stories. A friend of mine works with people facing psychological issues, and her clients don’t know her full name either. She maintains social media accounts but rarely posts due to the harassment some colleagues have faced. Understandable, but also saddening.
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how crucial healthcare workers are to all of us. Let’s give them the respect they deserve, both at work and at home.
Greetings,
Aileen