The NYC Division of Well being is quietly planning to rent an outdoor guide to plan tips to guard company honchos it claims have been bombarded by threats for the reason that pandemic — which critics say the company woefully mishandled.
The Well being Division started soliciting proposals final month from distributors fascinated about creating company protocols to stop on-line and in-person “security dangers and “proactively defend” its workers.
As much as 75 staffers, together with “management,” researchers and knowledge analysts — whose “on-line presence leaves them susceptible to harassment, doxxing, and reputational assaults” — may even obtain “private security coaching” on the way to “defend themselves” whereas attending public conferences and performing different subject duties, the appliance says.
This contains receiving “de-escalation coaching to assist employees safely and confidently navigate tense or confrontational conditions.”
“Public well being employees, particularly for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic, have confronted threats, intimidation, and opposition pushed by misinformation and the politicization of public well being points,” the Well being Division claimed within the doc launched Sept. 19.
“These threats can have extreme impacts on the workforce, together with burnout, poor psychological well being, and excessive charges of attrition.”
The Well being Division refused to say what the taxpayer-funded tab shall be for the brand new contract, however critics questioned whether or not it’s crucial — and if the company introduced on itself a lot of the criticism it’s obtained.
Diane Pagan, a former Division of Schooling social employee who was terminated from her job in 2021 for violating the town’s vaccine mandate, was flabbergasted upon listening to on the deliberate contract.
“There have been numerous untruths informed by the Well being Division, and they need to be on their palms and knees apologizing, reinstating and compensating any New Yorker harmed by the false statements they made,” mentioned Pagan.
“However their response … is to level fingers at individuals with logical questions and logical causes to be upset with them — after which spend cash to guard themselves.”
“I’ve heard numerous dumb s**t since COVID, [and] I assumed most of it was like behind us, however that is the dumbest s**t I’ve ever heard,” she mentioned.
Probably the most galling examples is former “COVID Czar” Jay Varma, an appointee of ex-Mayor Invoice de Blasio, being caught boasting on a hidden digicam about attending drug-fueled orgies throughout the pandemic — even because the company insisted the general public put on masks and isolate themselves from associates and family members.
And he additionally was recorded conceding that pure immunity to the lethal virus is simply pretty much as good because the jab – all whereas on the time telling the general public to get vaccinated.
Mayor Eric Adams lifted the vax mandate for metropolis workers in February 2023.
“That isn’t one thing individuals simply overlook — add to it that there are nonetheless individuals out of their jobs for vaccine non-compliance, and yeah, in fact persons are going to be indignant, and rightfully so,” mentioned Council Minority Chief Joann Ariola (R-Queens).
“I don’t agree with doxxing or something like that, however as a substitute of spending cash on one thing like this, how about they tackle the basis of the problem: apologize for bungling the COVID response, and get all the employees nonetheless out of a job because of vaccine non-compliance again on the payroll. Then possibly individuals wouldn’t be so indignant with them.”
“If company officers are apprehensive about reputational assaults, possibly they need to deal with incomes the general public’s belief, not scrubbing the Web,” added Councilman Frank Morano (R-Staten Island).
The Well being Division’s nonprofit fundraising arm Fund for Public Well being in New York Metropolis is overseeing the choice course of, and all proposals from potential candidates have been due Friday. The company and nonprofit anticipate to faucet a winner by the tip of the month.
The Well being Division refused to say which officers and different staffers shall be educated or make clear who has been harassed and threatened — and why.
As a substitute, it issued a press release saying “at a time when the general public well being workforce is below risk, robust digital and bodily securities and trainings are important to guard our employees from rising dangers of harassment.
“By selling digital literacy and proactive security practices, we’re aiming to empower employees to navigate each the true and on-line worlds with confidence and resiliency,” the division mentioned.
