DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. - About 440 employees at Advocate Aurora Health have either left the health care company or have been fired for not complying with a vaccine mandate, the hospital group said Thursday, Oct. 21.
The affected workers who represent 0.6% of Advocate Aurora’s workforce, "were not in compliance and have parted ways with the organization," the group said in a statement.
"With about 99% of our team members compliant or in the process of becoming compliant with our vaccine policy, we are protecting the health and safety of our patients, communities and each other," the statement read.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
About half of the 440 employees were not full-time employees and were scheduled on an "as-needed basis," the group said.
Advocate Aurora Health represents 26 hospitals and 500 care sites in Illinois and Wisconsin.
The deadline to comply with the mandate was Friday and workers initially were given a three-day suspension to have one last chance to comply, the company said.
The company announced in August that it would require employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 15, with limited exceptions for specific religious or medical reasons. The requirement applied to the company’s 75,000 team members across Illinois and Wisconsin, including remote workers and those who don’t directly work with patients.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
Wisconsin unemployment rate unchanged for sixth straight month
Wisconsin's unemployment rate for September remained unchanged at 3.9% for the sixth month in a row, the Department of Workforce Development reported.
Milwaukee COVID vaccine incentive; mayor encourages flu shots, too
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett provided updates on and encouraged COVID-19 testing and vaccination – as well as flu shots.
This browser does not support the Video element.
Children's Wisconsin prepares for expanded COVID vaccine eligibility
Children ages 5-11 could get their first shot at Pfizer vaccine COVID-19 protection as early as Nov. 8, with some fully protected by Christmas.