Mayo Clinic Fires 700 Employees

You’ve likely heard the latest national news story regarding the large termination of approximately 700 employees by Mayo Clinic. They had released a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy requiring their workers to have their first vaccination dosage no later than January 3rd, and failure to comply would result in job termination.

In an article released by NBC News, it was stated that lawmakers said they had heard from “a large number of highly concerned Mayo employees” who raised concerns about the policy move. It also came to light that thirty-eight total lawmakers compiled and signed a letter to the hospital last month asking them to eliminate this requirement.

“This top-down, heavy-handed, all-or-none employee policy does not fit the reputation or image we know the Mayo Clinic to have,” they said.

That’s what I want to shed light on today. In the role of organizational leadership, especially with these types of policies, the power to strike a balance between serving all employees and making sure to include their voices by listening is obtainable. Organizations just have to be willing to let their employees help them come up with solutions. Chances are, if employees are heard and included, it won’t result in bad press.

A Lesson in Listening

I wrote a blog early last year where I talked about listening to all levels of the organization, from the frontline all the way up. When people feel like their voices are heard, something magical happens. Employees feel that their opinion and insights matter. When they feel empowered to make a difference, they’re going to go the extra mile. That’s for both the team and the organization.

Including employees in the decision-making process and allowing them to weigh in on large policy changes, such as the one Mayo Clinic made, was likely to provide frontline insight into the potentially negative effects that management may not have considered. You might not be able to make everyone 100% happy, but you can make everyone feel heard. While I am not in the position to tell any organization what is the best COVID-19 policy for them, I can say this; there is always a way to show up with care for employees. No policy should ever supersede the need to meet each person where they are as human beings and not as disposable cogs in the corporate wheel.