Ottawa's Bruyere Continuing Care suspends 119 unvaccinated employees
More than 100 employees at Ottawa's Bruyère health care facilities are now on unpaid leave for failing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
As of Friday, 91 per cent of the 2,298 employees at Bruyère are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while an additional three per cent of employees are "on track" to being fully vaccinated in the coming days.
In August, Bruyère announced that all employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 15.
"A small percentage of staff have chosen not to comply with our mandatory vaccine policy," said Bruyère in a statement on its website.
"We remain hopeful that they will choose to get the vaccine."
Bruyère says 119 employees who choose not to get vaccinated are now on unpaid leave. The employees include 50 full-time and part-time staff and 69 casual employees.
"We will continue to work with these team members and hope all of them will choose to get vaccinated so they can resume working at Bruyère," said Bruyère.
"For the few who are choosing to end their employment at Bruyère, we are thankful for their contribution to the organization to date and wish them all the best."
One day after employees were notified they were being suspended without pay, 12 employees said they would now get vaccinated.
"Since the letters were issued to leaders yesterday, I'm pleased to say that number 119 has been reduced by 12 overnight," said Rebecca Officer, vice-president of Human Resources, Organizational Culture and Development at Bruyere.
"We're hopeful we'll continue to go in the right direction."
Officer told Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now with guest host Graham Richardson that employees will be able to return to work with "confirmation that they are getting vaccinated."
Bruyère provides hospital programs specializing in rehabilitation and complex care, family health teams, long-term care homes and in supportive and independent living for older adults.
Two-hundred and three employees at Bruyère, CHEO and the Queensway Carleton Hospital have been or will be placed on unpaid leave for failing to comply with COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.