CUPE is investigating a possible confidentiality breach involving Iler Lodge long-term care home in Essex and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.
According to CUPE national representative Sue Ann Hawkins, an employee with Local 1370 who works at the lodge had personal information accessed when the lodge was not permitted to.
Hawkins says workers are tested for COVID-19 twice and month and results may have been released in a manner that goes against provincial requirements.
She says mistakes were made when documents were faxed to the lodge.
"They weren't dealt with the way they should have been dealth with.,” she says. “We don't believe that this was intentional by the employer at all and they are taking every step to rectify the issue so it doesn't happen again. That does not negate their obligation to ensure that there's privacy."
Hawkins says it's a difficult situation, but they're working toward a solution.
"As you can appreciate, there's lots that's happening in the long-term care world right now,” she says. “We're doing our best to minimize any damage that have been caused to our members and if they are still not comfortable with the situation we will look at alternatives when getting testing done."
Hawkins admits it’s challenging because COVID-19, rules and regulations are changing daily.
"This is the first time our province has gone through something this massive in this many different corners of the world,” says Hawkins. “We're learning as we go. It is fluid and we have to continue to change how we do business. If it breaches privacy then we really have to pay attention to that and do things differently."
Hawkins says the union is meeting with lodge officials Wednesday to put better security measures in place when it comes to protecting the personal information of employees.
— With files from AM800's Rob Hindi