Shannex employee sent home with COVID-like symptoms was called back to work, union alleges

A health-care worker at the Shannex Tucker Hall nursing home in Saint John was sent home sick on Nov. 25 with COVID-19-like symptoms but called back in the next day, despite not having been tested and cleared, because of a worsening staff shortage caused by an outbreak at the home, according to the national CUPE representative.

Although the employee's symptoms had subsided and a subsequent COVID-19 test came back negative, the situation raises grave concerns, said Tamara Elisseou, who represents members of CUPE Local 5446.

"What would have happened if that employee had tested positive? That's the scary piece," she said.

There were 15 confirmed cases at the Shannex Parkland community in Saint John as of Saturday evening, the most recent update available since the outbreak was declared on Nov. 20. The cases include four employees and 10 residents at Tucker Hall and one employee at Carleton Hall, an independent-living retirement building.

Another 25 employees are self-isolating, Shannex told CBC News on Monday.

Elisseou does not believe the case of the employee in question contributed to the outbreak. But she contends it's a symptom of a larger, long-standing problem.

"We are in a staff shortage during an outbreak situation due to recruitment and retention issues in New Brunswick," she said.

"That worker never would have been called in if there was adequate staffing."

Shannex union members have described the working conditions as being "chaotic," she said. "They're down multiple bodies within units" and are allegedly being asked to help with housekeeping duties as well.

"They're feeling overwhelmed, they're exhausted. The morale is down and they feel like they've been left high and dry by this government with regards to workload issues in nursing homes."

Shannex screens at the door

Shannex declined to respond directly to the union's allegations about a sick worker being called back in to work.

"We can't speak to any individual employee matter," Lisa Snodgrass, director of clinical practice and infection control specialist, said in an emailed statement.

But she did say employees are asked to actively screen themselves for COVID-19 symptoms before they arrive for each shift.

"If they are not at work and feel they have two or more symptoms, we ask them to follow the book-off process to notify the site and to call their occupational health team designate for further screening," said Snodgrass.

Shannex also actively screens all employees at the door when they arrive for their shift, she said. If an employee has two or more COVID-19 symptoms, they are sent home and asked to call their occupational health team for further screening.

"Before the employee returns to the workplace, they must be screened and cleared to return to work by Public Health and our occupational health team."

There may be occasions when an employee is directed to remain out of the workplace while an exposure risk assessment is conducted, such as through contact tracing, said Snodgrass.

Retesting continues

Retesting, led by Public Health, is "an important part in managing this situation," she said. "It is how we've been able to identify positive cases for individuals with no symptoms."

Another round of testing was held on Monday and is scheduled to continue Tuesday, said Public Health spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane.

Members of the provincial rapid outbreak management team, or PROMPT, remain on site providing support for residents and the facility's clinical care team, he said.

This support includes testing and working in collaboration with the facility's infection prevention control specialist on infection control measures.

Co-workers were 'fearful'

Elisseou said the employee in question was tested on Nov. 24 as part of routine facility-wide testing being conducted by Public Health every few days.

The employee, who provides direct care for residents, began to experience some mild symptoms on Nov. 25 and was sent home, she said.

When the employee was called in again on Nov. 26, some members came forward, "obviously with concerns about their health and safety and fearful about the possibility of a sick worker being called back into work," said Elisseou.

"They're not just concerned about themselves. They are also worried about the residents that they care for. They spend a lot of time with the residents there and they care very deeply about them. And they're concerned about their health and well-being as well."

The employee's symptoms had subsided by then, having apparently been brought on by exhaustion, she said.

But the union's position is that the employee should have been tested and waited for clear test results before returning to the nursing home, said Elisseou, noting people with COVID-19 can be asymptomatic.

"And that's where the concern arose from many of the members, because that's often what's being told to workers and members of the general public," she said. "When they screen you at the door, if you have two or more symptoms, they will sometimes, oftentimes, prevent you from entering and send you for a COVID screening. And then you have to wait until you get cleared to return to work."

The employee was retested Nov. 27, as part of facility-wide testing, and the result was negative, said Elisseou.

Scheduling 'challenging'

Snodgrass described scheduling as "challenging," but said the facilities are fully staffed.

"Every day our management team monitors staffing levels for every shift, and they work proactively to identify where we have gaps to fill and ensure employees feel supported and safe while at work," she said. "During this pandemic it is no different.

"We are fortunate, and we are grateful for the team members who continue to come to work to care for residents and support each other during this challenging time."

In total, the Shannex Parkland community in Saint John has 220 employees.