Hundreds Of UMass Memorial Employees Fired After Vax Deadline

WORCESTER, MA — Hundreds of UMass Memorial Health employees chose to give up their jobs over the hospital system's coronavirus vaccine mandate this week, according to reports.

About 200 employees in the Worcester-based healthcare system lost their jobs after a Dec. 1 vaccine deadline passed, the Worcester Business Journal reported Friday. The employees could have their jobs back if they get vaccinated, according to the report.

UMass Memorial first announced a vaccine mandate in August, giving employees several deadlines to get fully vaccinated. The hospital system placed non-vaccinated employees on unpaid leave in November, pushing some to get inoculated.

Since the mandate was announced, a small group of employees and supporters have staged protests against the mandate, standing with signs across from the UMass Chan Medical School along Plantation Street.

The vaccine mandate came as the delta variant of coronavirus was ravaging the state, reducing open intensive care beds to zero by September. Heading into winter, the potentially more contagious omicron variant looms, and cases across Massachusetts are at levels not seen since January.

UMass Memorial Health employs about 15,000 people across the region at hospitals in Worcester, Marlborough, Clinton, Leominster and Southbridge.

The U.S. Supreme Court this week declined to hear an emergency appeal from Mass General employees fired for refusing vaccines on religious grounds.