A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression said she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on Facebook in which she appeared to be having fun.
Nathalie Blanchard has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Quebec, for the last year. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported that she was diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from insurance giant Manulife.
Miss Blanchard told CBC that she suffered from anxiety attacks and depression and could not work anymore but her payments dried up this autumn and when she called Manulife, she was told she was available to work because of Facebook.
She said her insurance agent described several pictures she had posted on Facebook, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday. Manulife told her it was evidence she was no longer depressed.
Blanchard said that on her doctor's advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sunny destinations, as a way to forget her problems.
Manulife would not comment on Blanchard's case, but did say in a written statement that they "would not deny or terminate a claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook."
Blanchard is fighting to get her benefits reinstated and said her lawyer Tom Lavin is exploring what the next step should be.
