St. Michael’s Hospital Finds $200K in Irregular Health Benefits Claims, Fires 31 Employees

St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto has fired 31 employees for alleged misuse of its employee benefits plan totaling around $200,000.

St. Michael’s Hospital confirmed to the National Post a routine audit uncovered “irregularities” in health benefits claims totalling approximately $200,000. Thirty-one employees have been fired. It is not known how many other employees are under investigation.

Hospital vice-president of human resources Mary Madigan-Lee said the claims were examined and “found to be in breach of our code of conduct.”

She said she could not elaborate on the nature of the irregularities, or what sort of health claims they involved because the matter is still under investigation.

Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru, partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, joined hosts Matt Gurney and Supriya Dwivedi on The Morning Show on Global News Radio 640 Toronto to discuss how employment law factors into this situation.