DENVER | The University of Colorado’s health system fired 119 employees for not adhering to their vaccine requirement without a religious or medical exemption.
That accounts for less than 0.5% of the company’s of their 26,500 employees around the state, said UCHealth spokesperson Dan Weaver.
UCHealth employees had until Oct. 1 to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or apply and receive an exemption. Among those fired, 54 employees were from the Denver region, 33 from northern Colorado and 32 from the southern part of the state.
“Despite the loss of these employees, UCHealth’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement has helped to improve staffing. With broad vaccination rates, fewer employees are testing positive for COVID-19 and needing to be out of work while they recover,” Weaver said in an email.
The employees who were terminated are welcome and encouraged to re-apply if they receive one of the three approved COVID-19 vaccinations, Weaver said.
UCHealth is a nonprofit health care system with 12 hospitals and hundreds of medical clinics in the Rocky Mountain region.
Fired maybe a hard term especially considering they are welcomed back once vaccinated...““Despite the loss of these employees, UCHealth’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement has helped to improve staffing. With broad vaccination rates, fewer employees are testing positive for COVID-19 and needing to be out of work while they recover,” Weaver said in an email.
The employees who were terminated are welcome and encouraged to re-apply if they receive one of the three approved COVID-19 vaccinations, Weaver said.”
And, it is interesting to see it said that it has improved staffing with fewer employees needing to be out while sick….how about that?
Obviously the right thing to do — on all counts. Get vaccinated, or have a viable excuse not to — or lose your job in the healthcare sector. And, if you change your mind and get vaccinated, you can be rehired. Completely equitable.