Employees at the North Bay Regional Health Centre will be receiving termination papers as soon as this week if they do not comply with the hospital's vaccination policy.
One employee, who is not vaccinated and is not willing to comply with mandatory testing requirements, told BayToday they could be fired within days.
"If we do not comply, we will be dismissed," the employee told BayToday.
Lindsay Smylie Smith Communications Specialist, North Bay Regional Health Centre, confirmed that in an email to BayToday Wednesday morning.
"If employees do not comply with the policy, progressive discipline will result, up to and including dismissal," said Smylie Smith.
"We are aware of approximately 40 employees who are currently non-compliant and could progress to dismissal as early as this week."
The source told BayToday that the non-compliant employees hold various positions around the hospital. The source says that more than 200 hospital staff had refused to get a vaccine prior to the vaccine certificate mandate set forth by the province last week
"These laws have to be changed," the source continued.
The hospital's vaccine policy was established and implemented to ensure compliance with the province’s Directive #6 issued by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, and follows the stipulations of the Directive.
As per the directive, staff is required to comply with one of the three requirements listed below in relation to COVID-19 vaccination:
- Be vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination to Occupational Health Safety & Wellness (Occ Health) or
- Where all Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccines are medically contraindicated, the staff must provide written proof of the medical contraindication from their regular qualified medical practitioner or
- Where a staff elects not to be vaccinated, or they are unsure of whether they want to be vaccinated, they are required to complete a COVID-19 education program.
She added that employees that are in category 2 or 3 will be required to obtain a COVID-19 antigen test every 7 days.
BayToday's employee source hopes it does not come to that as they believe no severance will come with the dismissal.
