New York Health System Offers Second Chance to Fired Employees after COVID Vaccine Mandate

In 2021, New York State mandated that all healthcare workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The mandate was imposed to ensure that the population remained healthy and free from the further spread of the virus, but it resulted in many healthcare workers being fired due to their refusal to receive the vaccine. However, now that the mandate has been lifted, one health system in the state is inviting its former employees back.

 

Syracuse, N.Y.-based St. Joseph's Health announced it would mandate COVID-19 vaccination for its workers. Despite these efforts, some employees were terminated due to their refusal to get vaccinated. However, with the recent announcement that this mandate has been lifted, the facility is contacting these former workers and inviting them back to their positions.

 

Inviting ex-employees back could be a win-win situation, allowing St. Joseph's Health to ease its staffing challenges and retain skilled and experienced nursing staff. 

It Has Begun | Unvaccinated New York Healthcare Workers Either Terminated or Placed on Unpaid Leave (Video)

As the Sept. 27 deadline for New York state's healthcare COVID-19 vaccination mandate approached, many workers rushed to get vaccinated.

But some refused and were either fired or suspended without pay. And they may not qualify for unemployment.

And some hospitals that lost employees had to deal with the fallout immediately, halting elective surgeries and closing departments.

There are hospitals all over the country mandating the vaccine for their employees, and some are facing the same fallout, and others are not.

So we will see how all of this plays out.