Telling Family, Work and Others About Your Diagnosis in New Zealand

One of the first questions after a serious diagnosis is who to tell, and when. The answer is mostly yours to decide — but there are a few situations where disclosure is legally required, and a few where it is practically important. This guide covers both. If you'd rather have a plan built around your situation, answer a few questions and we'll build one around you →

The starting point — disclosure is your choice

There is no general legal obligation to tell people about your health. Your diagnosis is private health information, and you control who knows about it. You can tell everyone, tell no one, or tell different people different things. Deciding to wait before telling people — or choosing never to tell certain people — is a legitimate choice, not a failure to cope.

The sections below cover the specific situations where the picture is more nuanced.

Telling your employer

You are not required to disclose the nature of your diagnosis to your employer. In most circumstances, saying that you have "a medical condition" that is affecting your work or requiring time off is sufficient.

You do need to tell your employer when you're taking sick leave, and for absences of three or more consecutive calendar days they can ask for a medical certificate. The certificate confirms you are unfit for work — it does not require you to name the condition.

Disclosure becomes more nuanced if you want to ask for specific adjustments (reduced hours, modified duties, flexible working). In those conversations you may need to give enough information about how the condition affects you for your employer to understand what's being requested — but you can do this without naming the diagnosis itself. Put any agreed arrangements in writing.

Your privacy rights at work

If you do share health information with your employer — including HR, your manager, or occupational health — that information is subject to the Privacy Act 2020. Your employer:

• Cannot share your health information with colleagues without your consent.
• Must keep health records secure and use them only for the purpose for which they were collected.
• Cannot use your health information to treat you less favourably than other employees in a way that amounts to discrimination — the Human Rights Act 1993 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of disability.

If you believe your health information has been shared without your consent, you can make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz or call 0800 803 909.

Roles where disclosure may be required

Some roles carry obligations that go beyond standard employment. If your diagnosis could affect your ability to perform safety-critical functions, you may have a duty to disclose — or your licence or registration may require it.

• Safety-sensitive roles — operating heavy machinery, working at heights, driving commercial vehicles, or other roles where impairment could endanger others. Check your employment agreement and any industry codes that apply.
• Licensed or registered roles — health practitioners, pilots, certain transport roles, and others may have registration conditions that require reporting a health change to the relevant authority (for example the Medical Council of New Zealand for doctors).
• Driving licences — the Land Transport Act requires you to notify the NZ Transport Agency if a medical condition may affect your ability to drive safely. Your GP can advise on whether your specific condition triggers this obligation.

If you're uncertain whether your role requires disclosure, a union representative, Citizens Advice Bureau (0800 367 222), or an employment lawyer can give you guidance before you say anything to your employer.

Telling Work and Income

To access Jobseeker Support or Supported Living Payment you will need to disclose your health condition to Work and Income and provide a medical certificate from your doctor. Work and Income is bound by the Privacy Act — they cannot share your health information with your employer or other third parties without your consent.

The level of detail required is whatever is needed to assess your eligibility. Your doctor completes the relevant certificate; you don't need to provide detailed medical records unless asked.

Telling your bank or lender

You are not required to tell your bank about your diagnosis. However, if your income is affected and you think you may struggle to meet loan repayments, contacting your bank before you miss a payment generally leads to better outcomes. Banks have financial hardship teams and are required to consider hardship applications — disclosure in that context is voluntary and in your interest.

Telling ACC

ACC covers accidental injury, not illness. Unless your diagnosis was caused by an accident or a work-related injury, ACC is not relevant to your situation and you have no disclosure obligation. If you were injured in an accident that contributed to your diagnosis, or if a medical procedure caused an injury during treatment, ACC may be relevant — your GP can advise.

Telling your insurer

If you are making an insurance claim, you must notify the insurer promptly and provide accurate information about your diagnosis. Separately, if you took out a policy after your diagnosis, most policies require disclosure of pre-existing conditions at application. Failing to disclose a known pre-existing condition at the time a policy was taken out can affect future claims on that policy — but this applies to what you knew when you applied, not to a new diagnosis.

If you already hold policies taken out before your diagnosis, you have no general obligation to update the insurer until you make a claim.

Telling family

There is no legal framework for family disclosure — it is entirely personal. People vary enormously in what they want to share and when, and both openness and privacy are valid choices.

Some practical considerations:

• Who needs to know to help you — practical support (transport to appointments, help at home, someone to come to appointments with you) is easier to arrange when the right people know.
• Who you trust with the information — not everyone in your family will respond in ways that are helpful to you. It's reasonable to tell some family members and not others, or to ask someone you've told to keep it private for now.
• Timing — you may want to wait until you have more information about the diagnosis and treatment plan before telling people, so you can answer questions rather than manage others' uncertainty alongside your own.

Talking to children and young people

Children generally cope better with honest, age-appropriate information than with sensing that something serious is happening but not being told. Being excluded from information can be more frightening than the truth.

Age-appropriate honesty means using simple language, not overwhelming with detail, and leaving space for questions — including ones you can't yet answer. You don't have to explain everything at once. The Cancer Society of New Zealand (0800 226 237) has specific resources for talking to children when a parent or family member has cancer; similar guidance is available from condition-specific charities for other diagnoses. Your specialist nurse or a social worker attached to the hospital service can also help you plan these conversations.

Getting support for difficult conversations

You don't have to manage disclosure conversations alone. Several sources of support are available:

• Your GP or specialist can help you think through what to say, and some will speak directly with family members if you want them to.
• Specialist nurses — many hospital services (oncology, cardiology, neurology) have specialist nurses whose role includes supporting patients and families through exactly these conversations.
• Social workers — Health New Zealand (Te Whatu Ora) hospitals have social workers attached to their services. A social worker can help facilitate family conversations, support children, and connect you with community resources. Ask your specialist team to refer you.
• Counselling — your GP can refer you, or you can contact a counsellor directly. The Disability Allowance may contribute to ongoing counselling costs.

If you're not ready to tell people yet

That is a completely valid position. You can access most practical support — Work and Income payments, the Disability Allowance, KiwiSaver withdrawals, bank hardship provisions, insurance claims — without anyone in your personal life knowing. Your medical team is bound by confidentiality. You are in control of this information.

When and whether to tell people is your decision, made at your pace.