Like politicians and other high profile individuals who have recently been caught travelling in defiance of regional health orders, rank and file employees are now facing career consequences for risky behaviour that would otherwise go unnoticed.
A recent example is a neonatal intensive care nurse from London, Ont., who was fired on Jan. 19 after speaking at an anti-lockdown rally in Washington, D.C. In a statement, the London Health Sciences Centre said it suspended Kristen Nagle without pay in November for actions "not aligned" with its values and then terminated her after an internal investigation.
The case reflects the growing issue amid the pandemic of whether someone’s behaviour is a risk to the employer’s reputation.