California workers might be outraged to hear that employees of the Kaiser Fontana Medical Center were fired after they blew the whistle on the establishment for making them work in unsanitary conditions. Two Kaiser employees filed a complaint against the company in San Bernardino Superior Court in response to the company’s actions. Both of the employees had suffered from injuries after they were required to use large and poorly designed carts for housekeeping duties. Both of them eventually filed workers’ compensation claims in connection with the incident, which they said was held against them later on when they made complaints about the unsanitary working conditions during employees’ special Unit Based Team meetings. Both of the employees eventually suffered from what they alleged was wrongful termination.
One of the employees complained after there was a sewage flood in the hospital’s basement. The workers were reportedly ordered to clean the mess up with blankets and whatever else they could find. They were not given any personal protection equipment like gloves, goggles or appropriate footwear to wear. A hazardous material company ended up finishing the cleanup after the employee lodged a complaint. Shortly thereafter, she was terminated.
The other employee stated that the cleaning processes for patients’ rooms left the rooms unsanitary and unfit for use. She stated that there was blood and other bodily fluids on the walls and that she informed the management about the rooms not being properly cleaned. She informed the management that they needed germicide chemicals to properly disinfect the rooms. Shortly after her complaint, she was terminated as well.
Employees who feel that they were wrongfully terminated or discriminated against might be able to seek compensation. Employment law attorneys might be able to assist them in filing discrimination claims and negotiating settlements.
Source: Courthouse News, “Kaiser Employees: Fired for Whistleblowing”, Philip A. Janquart, October 04, 2013