5 Pioneer Manor staff fired after 'inappropriate' Snapchats
CBC News | Posted: June 28, 2017 5:10 PM | Last Updated: June 28, 2017
Pictures of long-term care residents — mostly vulnerable— were shared with front-line employees.
Five front-line staff at Pioneer Manor have been fired for sharing 'inappropriate' Snapchat images of long-term care residents.
Catherine Matheson, general manager of community development for the city, said a complaint from a Pioneer Manor staff member prompted the investigation.
"Inappropriate pictures were taken of residents...vulnerable seniors, most of them," Matheson said.
Matheson said that in some of the photos, patients were aware their picture was being taken. But even with a resident's permission, the accused staff were breaking policy.
"Staff are not to have cell phones in use during the time they are working with the residents in our facility," she said.
"To take a picture of an individual then forward it is breaching that person's privacy and rights. That itself is grounds enough for us to be very concerned."
Police have been notified
Snapchat is a mobile app, which takes pictures that delete themselves after a few seconds.
Matheson said the nature of the photos "will not be shared," but the city has contacted police, who will conduct their own investigation.
Pioneer Manor is also in the process of bringing in a third party to review their privacy policies. This should help alleviate any confusion about what's expected of staff, Matheson said.