100 signatures reached
To: Derald Walker, Ph.D. President & CEO of Cascadia BHC
Cascadia Behavioral Health Workers deserve hazard pay
Cascadia, like many front-line healthcare agencies is being dramatically affected by the lack of PPE available. Please help spread the message that Cascadia’s own mission statement -- 'to promote hope and support the well-being of the communities we serve'.
We are striving for open communication to ensure our community has accurate up to date when coming in contact with possible cases of COVID-19. information, and we can be put at ease about our ongoing high risk for exposure. Our community is the staff we work alongside with, the clients we fight for, in addition to our loved ones at home.
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare providing their healthcare workers with hazard pay would ensure that those continuing to be on the frontlines have protection. Everyday employees are caring for behavioral health patients around the clock and coming into contact with possible COVID-19 cases and or waiting for results of our patients that may have COVID-19. Employees are sent out to pick up items at stores and without proper PPE wear. We are caring for older patients that have pre-existing health problems that are at high risk for contracting COVID-19.
We need our company, Cascadia behavioral Healthcare, to recognize the risk we are taking and compensate us hazard pay to continue to work during this unsafe time. We need them to have our backs while we try to care for ourselves and our patients.
Why is this important?
According to the UN, hazard pay is “a form of compensation granted to staff members who have been requested to remain and report for work in duty stations where very hazardous conditions, such as war or active hostilities, prevailed and where the evacuation of families and nonessential staff had taken place.”
Cascadia proudly employees elderly and disabled workers, two demographics that are most at risk for becoming critically ill from COVID-19. Yet those workers can’t afford to avoid work and keep themselves safe.
Many Cascadia Behavioral Health workers are worried and scared that during these hard times of a pandemic that they or their families will likely contract COVID-19 due to being in direct care with our patients during their shifts without proper PPE to otherwise protect them. Thus Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare providing their employees with hazard pay to compensate them for their extra work and exposure to COVID-19. Hazard pay provides security, comfort, and increased morale knowing our company has our backs.
