Two health and safety companies have passed on information about sick workers to their bosses, according to the Dutch privacy watchdog CBP on Thursday.

One of the companies, which were not named, is an arbodienst, which advises firms on health and safety issues and helps get sick staff back to work. Some 58,000 workers were affected by their lapses in privacy control, the CPB said.

The second firm is a specialist in workforce re-integration after illness and has now taken steps to change its procedures, the CPB said.

Passing on ‘sensitive medical information’ is illegal, the CBP points out. The information included details about the complaint, medicine usage and other treatment.

Similar claims were made in a television programme last year.