Health care for hospital workers — is that too much to ask? Apparently to some hospitals, it is. Legacy, one of the Northwest’s largest employers, does not offer health benefits to staff who are given positions considered on-call, supplemental, per diem or contractual.
According to its own public community report, these groups make up 12 percent of the total staff in a company with more than 10,000 employees. It’s not unusual for these staff members to work 40-plus hours a week. I should know; I worked for the company for a year and a half without benefits, often working as much as eight full shifts in a row.
What is particularly concerning is that, according to information publicly available through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, hospital workers experience more injuries and illnesses than manufacturing and construction work.
Many people get into healthcare for the purpose of helping others. Is it too much to ask that their employers help them? For the hundreds of caregivers who are denied health coverage, please pass on this message to big hospitals: if you’re going to hire new employees, first, do no harm.
