During the first wave of the pandemic, asymptomatic hospital employees who were required to self-isolate because of a suspected COVID-19 exposure were provided leave with pay.
Now, these same hospital staff are being forced to take leave without pay or other forms of leave, like vacation.
It is abhorrent to penalize essential service workers required to self-isolate to protect the hospital workforce and their patients during a global pandemic.
PIPSC President Daviau has written to the Ontario Minister of Health, the Ontario Hospital Association and the Chief Executive Officers of the provincial health care institutions where our members work – making clear that this change in leave with pay provisions is unacceptable.
If you are an Ontario hospital worker required to self-isolate due to possible COVID-19 exposure and you are not being provided leave with pay please get in touch with us now for support.
At this time, leave is being evaluated on a case-by-case basis. This type of management discretion guarantees inconsistencies and inequity, adding another layer of distress for thousands of workers, mainly women, who are Canada’s first-line responders to the pandemic crisis.
This is an unacceptable way to treat essential hospital workers.
We are calling on the government to reverse this decision and find a suitable solution allowing paid leave to continue to be used by our members in these exceptionally difficult circumstances.
We will provide more information to our members as we receive responses from the Minister of Health and hospital managers.