New York’s largest healthcare provider lays off 1,400 unvaccinated workers

October 4 (Reuters) – New York state’s largest healthcare provider Northwell Health fired 1,400 employees who refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to spokesperson Joe Kemp .

As with other healthcare companies that have recently fired workers for failing to meet vaccine mandates, laid-off employees make up a small percentage of Northwell’s workforce of over 76,000, who are now all vaccinated.

New York’s vaccination mandate for healthcare workers went into effect last week. Several other states, including California, have imposed similar measures.

Authorities attributed the increased vaccination rate to the requirements, although a small number of employees decided they would rather lose their jobs than get vaccinated.

Northwell announced his vaccine mandate in August, weeks before the state’s requirement. The company’s mandate extended to clinical and non-clinical workers.

“Our goal was not to lay off employees,” Kemp said. “Our goal was to get people vaccinated. “

Kemp said the terminations will have no impact on patient care at the 23 hospitals and other facilities in Northwell.

“Northwell regrets having lost an employee in such circumstances,” the company said in a statement. “We owe it to our staff, our patients and the communities we serve to be 100% vaccinated against COVID-19. “

Report by Joseph Ax Editing by Sonya Hepinstall

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