Dalena

Karma: 15

What do you do if you get fired or let go from a health care job because you have Hep C

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0 Views: 269 Answers: 2 Posted: 12 years ago

2 Answers

catgirl15

Karma: 7505

Get a good lawyer. Actually, it's illegal for an employer to fire someone just becuase they have hepatitis C. What IS legal however, is firing an employee for either contracting or transmitting a blood-borne disease on the job. This is because the employee only could have done this by violating the company's practices regarding personal protective equipment like gloves, lab coat, and safety glasses.

12 years ago. Rating: 1
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TSC

Karma: 101452

Get well then apply for a new job. If your a health risk to the people you serve in your line of work your former employer may have justification to let you go.

I would still check with a Lawyer like catgirl15 suggested.

12 years ago. Rating: 0
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catgirl15

Hepatitis C is not at all contagious; it absolutely cannot be passed between two people under normal circumstances, not even in a health care setting. In health care, it does not matter what you may or may not be infected with; employers must assume that all workers and all patients are infected with something. That's the whole idea behind PPE (personal protective equipment). All health care workers have to use PPE regardless of the health status. However, the company is clearly within its rights if it can prove a worker violated the PPE policy and then fires him. This has nothing to do with the employee's health status; their health status is merely proof that they've violated the PPE policy. If this policy was not in effect and/or not followed properly, then infectious diseases would run rampant within our health care system. It's imperative that all healthcare providers implement and enforce this policy.

commented 12 years ago

TSC

Didn't know that. Thx for the info.

commented 12 years ago