In the new social media era we live in, people are always flooded with warnings about what they post on the internet. MTV is filled with public service adverts warning young women about the dangers of sending revealing pictures and graduating high school students are warned about how pictures on their Myspace of them lighting up marijuana can affect their future job searches. But a 29-year-old woman in Canada has lost her medical benefits because of some untimely Facebook pictures.
Nathalie Blanchard, a 29-year-old IBM employee hailing from Bromont, Quebec, Canada has been on sick leave from her job after she was diagnosed with ‘major depression'. She was on leave from her position for over a year and a half, as she received sick leave employement checks from ‘Manulife', the insurance provider.
Then, the checks stopped coming this fall. When Blanchard called the insurance company, they told her that her Facebook pictures told her she was well enough to return to work, she told the CBC.
The insurance agent was even able to describe exact pictures from Blanchard's Facebook profile, reportedly ones of her having fun at a bar and another of her on a sunny beach somewhere tropical.
Blanchard's reply is that her doctor advised her to get out and have fun as she tried to cope with her depression. She is also concerned how Manulife got access to her Facebook pictures since her profile is set to private. Ms. Blanchard obviously doesn't know that any Facebook picture can be viewed by anybody, if they sent the direct URL to view the picture.
When the CBC contacted Manulife, the insurance provider, they said they would never cancel benefits based on just a few apt Facebook pictures, but they did confirm that they use Facebook as a source of investigating insurance fraud.
Ms. Blanchard has hired a lawyer and appears to be preparing to press legal action against the insurance company. She claims to have lost thousands of dollars since Manulife canceled her benefits.

I think they are right.
She needs to take her ass to work.
lol,
Quoting Martina70:I think they are right.
She needs to take her ass to work.

That's ridiculous! A freaking year and half on sick leave??? She's well enough to go party, then shes well enough to work.
Quoting Martina70:
I think they are right.
She needs to take her ass to work.
I know can we move to canada??? lol
Quoting MommynMonster:That's ridiculous! A freaking year and half on sick leave??? She's well enough to go party, then shes well enough to work.
Quoting Martina70:
I think they are right.
She needs to take her ass to work.

I am scared of you. I seen your detective work on the pro biker post. lol I bet you would save companies tons of money!
Quoting LuvmySFSGT:I would have loved to be the one to bust her ass! LOL!

Quoting babybull0601:Well she said she was only doing what the dr told her to do enjoy life. I guess it took her that long to learn who to enjoy life
LOL...And anyone who is so severely depressed they cant work definitely would not be taking pictures and posting them all over Facebook!
Quoting misssy2000:I am scared of you. I seen your detective work on the pro biker post. lol I bet you would save companies tons of money!
Quoting LuvmySFSGT:I would have loved to be the one to bust her ass! LOL!
I was an insurance agent for 8 years...that was my job...lol!




- misssy2000
on Nov. 24, 2009 at 2:19 AM