On Wednesday, November 10th Nurses and community members gathered in front of Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach to protest the upcoming Vaccine Mandate being imposed on all hospital employees beginning November 12th. Many hospital employees, family and community members waved signs as people honked and waved in support of the rally. Their message was loud and clear: We will not comply with the vaccine mandate. Roughly two dozen medical professionals were put on “unpaid suspended leave” at Sacred Heart for declining the COVID 19 immunization. These medical professionals work in the ER, Med Surg, OR and PACU. One nurse had worked there for seven years. Official termination will happen in January if they do not comply.
Attorney Greg Crosslin represents about 80 doctors, nurses and staff employed at Sacred Heart locations in Walton, Bay and surrounding Counties.
Crosslin believes the vaccine requirement is an infringement on the “personal rights and beliefs of employees and is a form of “blackmail” to require a vaccine they believe is unnecessary, and potentially unsafe.
“Tell us what you’re doing and why,” Crosslin said, asserting that Ascension’s leadership had been unwilling to engage in meaningful discussion of the vaccination requirement.
“Why are you mandating a vaccine when there is no crisis?” Crosslin said, citing the drastic decrease in new cases and hospitalizations related to COVID. “You know, the bottom line is they’re telling the staff you can either play Russian roulette and potentially have suicide by vaccine or keep your job. That’s not a choice.”
Not long after the protest in Miramar Beach, Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation designed to protect Florida employees from losing their jobs due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and protect parents’ rights to make healthcare decisions for students. The bills were passed through a Special Session of the Florida Legislature and signed by the Governor. is.
Effective immediately:
Private Employer COVID-19 vaccine mandates are prohibited.
‣ Employees can choose from numerous exemptions, including but not limited to, health or religious concerns; pregnancy or anticipated future pregnancy; and past recovery from COVID-19.
‣ Employees can choose to opt for periodic testing or PPE as an exemption.
‣ Employers who violate these employee health protections will be fined.
‣ Small businesses (99 employees or less) will face $10,000 per employee violation.
‣ Medium and big businesses will face $50,000 per employee violation.
‣ Government entities may not require COVID-19 vaccinations of anyone, including employees.
‣ Educational institutions may not require students to be COVID-19 vaccinated.
‣ School districts may not have school face mask policies.
‣ School districts may not quarantine healthy students.
‣ Students and parents may sue violating school districts and recover costs and attorney’s fees.
At his press conference announcing the new legislation, Governor DeSantis said “Nobody should lose their job due to heavy-handed COVID mandates and we have a responsibility to protect the livelihoods of the people of Florida. I’m thankful to the Florida Legislature for joining me in standing up for freedom.”
According to Attorney Crosslin, in response to the new legislation, Sacred Heart Ascension has called most of the protesting employees back to work- but not all, Additionally, the hospital has not officially issued exemptions or accepted the new state mandated forms.
The protesting Sacred Heart Ascension employees all filed for medical or religious exemptions prior to the November 12th deadline, but none were granted. One nurse reported that the digital exemption form could not be submitted without checking a box that agreed to voluntary resignation by November 12. This nurse printed the exemption request form, had it notarized and submitted it to HR, not checking the resignation box.
Author: SWal Life
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