Vancouver Sun

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, which advises people to stay home if they think they have the flu, has been told to stop punishing its own workers for calling in sick.

In response to a grievance launched last year by the Hospital Employees' Union and other health unions, arbitrator Vince Ready has ruled that the health authority must end the practice of denying overtime, reducing hours or threatening to fire workers for illness or injury.

Health care unions have won a significant victory protecting the rights of sick and injured workers who were being punished by Vancouver Coastal Health.

In 2005, David Bland -- a vocationalrehabilitation counsellor and HSA member from Richmond Mental Health -- wasmurdered at his workplace by a former client.  His tragic death served asa sombre reminder that more needs to be done to prevent incidents of violencein the workplace and to protect health care and social services workers on thejob. 

In spite of an agreement reached between HSA and other health care unions and the Ministry of Health last week, some members continue to get pressure to either produce evidence of vaccination against seasonal influenza, or wear a mask during the flu season, which was declared open December 1.

For members information, at the meeting held between the Ministry of Health, HSA, BCGEU and HEU November 30, the following agreement was reached:

While the policy remains on the books the mandatory provisions of it will not be enforced. This means:

Alberni Valley Times

The B.C. government has temporarily backed away from a controversial plan to force thousands of provincial health workers to get a flu shot before they can work with patients.

Instead of forcing workers to wear a mask or have the mandatory flu vaccination, the B.C. Health Ministry said it will work towards voluntary compliance from workers in the first year of the program.

On the eve of the implementation of a new province-wide policy that threatened to fire health science professionals who refused to declare whether they had been vaccinated against seasonal flu, Health Sciences Association  has negotiated an agreement that sees the government back off on the policys punitive aspects.

How do we work together against violence in health care workplaces? For the first time ever, the annual international conference to counter violence in the health sector is taking place in North America.

More than 470 participants from around the world have gathered at the Sheraton Airport Hotel in Richmond to hear from experts and take part in workshops at the Violence in the Health Sector ... Linking Local Initiatives with Global Learning conference.

Health Sciences Association, on behalf of the Health Science Professionals Bargaining Association (HSPBA), is calling for the withdrawal of a province-wide policy that threatens to fire health science professionals who refuse to declare whether they have been vaccinated against seasonal flu.

The Report: September 2012 vol.33 num.3

Bill 14 is being heralded for making BC a leader on workplace mental health and stress. But in practice it will make life harder for employees facing mental stress.

BCs Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall yesterday announced new measures for influenza prevention among health care workers and patients.