The Registered Nurses Union is concerned after the health authority conduced a phishing awareness exercise that used the promise of an additional paid day off as the hook for employees.

The RNU says the exercise was in “very poor taste.”

The email was sent as part of an internal cybersecurity test. It appeared to recognize employees for their work and the challenges experienced during the implementation of CorCare.

The message invited employees to “submit” a request for a “June Holiday” – an extra paid day off in recognition for their commitment and professionalism.

Union President Yvette Coffey says they’ve been contacted by many members who are upset with the way the phishing exercise was presented.

Her issue is not with a phishing exercise but with the poor judgement used in its presentation.

She says nurses and other health care professionals have worked through “enormous pressure” over the last number of years, including staffing shortages and organizational restructuring under CorCare, and to use the promise of a day off was in very poor taste.

Nape “Outraged”

Meanwhile, NAPE says it is “outraged” by the situation.

President Jerry Earle says he is “absolutely disgusted” that NLHS would conduct a phishing exercise in that manner.

He acknowledges the importance of cybersecurity, and says there are appropriate way to do those tests – and this was not one of them.

Earle says “exploiting the hard work and goodwill of healthcare workers to test cybersecurity crossed a major line.”