Ottawa Hospital set to place more than 300 employees on unpaid leave for violating vaccination policy
More than 300 Ottawa Hospital employees who aren’t fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be placed on an unpaid leave of absence.
As of this week, the hospital has sent 189 letters to employees who haven’t received the vaccine, and 129 to employees who received one dose of the vaccine, but did not have their second dose scheduled by Nov. 1.
"There are a number of staff who have yet to becoming fully vaccinated by November 1 and therefore will be placed on unpaid leave of absence," said a letter to hospital leaders obtained by CTV News Ottawa.
The letter said those employees will have to return all hospital property, including employee ID cards and keys. The ID cards will be deactivated as of Oct. 31 at midnight.
The 318 employees include full-time, part-time and casual staff members.
A hospital spokesperson said the letters were sent as reminders of the deadline, and do not mean the employees will definitely be terminated or placed on leave.
"We will continue working with staff who are not fully vaccinated to ensure they have all the information they need regarding their options," the spokesperson said in an email.
However, even employees who receive a second dose immediately would be receiving it less than two weeks before the Nov. 1 deadline.
Ninety-six per cent of hospital employees are fully vaccinated, above the city-wide rate of 86 per cent among those eligible.
The hospital announced last month that all staff who aren’t vaccinated would be placed on unpaid leave as of Nov. 1.
Continued failure to comply with the policy “may ultimately result in cessation of employment or permanent suspension of privileges, if applicable,” the hospital’s seven-page corporate policy says.
The policy doesn’t apply to people who have exemptions for medical reasons or under the Ontario Human Rights Code.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
Canada, G7 urge 'all parties' to de-escalate in growing Mideast conflict
Canada called for 'all parties' to de-escalate rising tensions in the Mideast following an apparent Israeli drone attack against Iran overnight.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.