Thousands of NY Health Care Workers Placed on Unpaid Leave, Face Firing Over Vaccine Mandate

Thousands of nurses and other health care workers across New York state have lost their jobs or been suspended because they are refusing to comply with the state's mandate to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

That would leave tens of thousands of hospital workers slated for termination, though some health care providers indicated that they are giving their employees some time to still get vaccinated and return to work.

Northwell Health, the state's largest health care employer with two dozen hospitals and 74,000 staff, indicated that not all unvaccinated employees were given the immediate boot.

More than 91 percent of staff members at NYC Health + Hospitals, the New York City-run safety net hospital system, are vaccinated, an official with the company told The Epoch Times.

At Samaritan Health in northern New York, over 90 percent of its over 2,000-strong staff was vaccinated and another roughly 6 percent were granted exemptions from the mandate as of Sept. 27 afternoon, spokeswoman Leslie Distefano told The Epoch Times.

Employees in violation of the mandate were placed on two weeks leave.

Providers can hire workers licensed in other states and countries, as well as recent graduates and retired health care professionals, she said.
 

https://www.theepochtimes.com/thousands-of-ny-healthcare-workers-fired-placed-on-leave-over-vaccine-mandate_4021462.html