Portland Hospital Criticized Over Employment Practices

A pair of on-call cleaning attendants at Providence St. Vincent Hospital in Portland say working conditions there are less than fair.

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Moumen Al Khach says he is still irked by the treatment he received on May 1st 2007, a day he had to unexpectedly pick his 8-year old daughter up from school because she was very sick. Moumen and his wife are contract employees at Providence St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, Oregon.

He says that after picking up his sick child, he stopped by the hospital to make arrangements to come in late to work so that he could care for her. He took his daughter with him to his supervisor's office, since she couldn't be left alone in his car. He asked of his supervisor, "Please allow me to start working late or release my wife from her work early because my daughter is very sick and she needs one of us to take care of her."

He says that same supervisor told him "No", that he had to begin work at 2:30 PM as scheduled, and that he could lay his daughter on the couch in the break room until her mom completed her shift at 5:00 PM.

He says he followed the direction as instructed. Recently having immigrated to the U.S. from Syria, Al Khach says he and his wife, a native of the Philippines, did so because they didn’t know the rules and the laws at that time.

"I was afraid to lose my job if I did not follow their instructions; my family would suffer financially, so I did what they told me to do."

He estimates that his daughter had to remain in the break room for over two hours. For part of that time, 30-45 minutes as he recalls, Al Khach attended a meeting in the same break room and was able to sit near her. But he says she was alone for most of the two plus hours.

"My daughter was in pain; she had a fever, throat and mouth infection, crying, lying on the couch alone in the break room without any of her parent for some time."

That is when a friend of the family was able to pick their daughter up. The 8-year old recovered from her illness and ended up being OK, but Al Khach says he fears other immigrant employees, particularly contract employees, could face similar treatment in the future.

Providence St. Vincent Hospital Spokesperson Jean Marks, says there was nothing unusual about what the hospital requested of Mr. Al Khach that day.

"This child was not left alone. We treat all employees the same, and have policies around paid time off - planned and emergency."

Moumen Al Khach says another serious problem he encountered while working at the hospital was being pricked by a needle while performing his job.

Now every few weeks he has to have a blood test, obviously this would be the last thing any employee would want to have happen, and he could become gravely ill, potentially.

Al Khach says his supervisor accused him of handling the needle improperly, when he in fact did follow safety guidelines. The problem he says, arose from another employee putting the needle in the trash where it didn't belong.

"The needle should be placed in a sharp biohazard box container. My family and I were suffering that I may have AIDS or some other serious disease that will may end my life and/or my wife’s life."

In response to the needle incident, Jean Marks said, "We have defined safety precautions related to needles/sharps. All employees receive annual training. Any incident is immediately reported to the manager, and appropriate medical services are provided."

Al Khach says there is "a lot of discrimination" in the housekeeping department at Providence St. Vincent Hospital. He says they have listened, but failed to address the real issues that the problems stem from.

"They are not fair with the workers. I complained to the department manager, to the HR department and to the hospital manager, but they never come back to me with a fair solution."

Other complaints from Al Khach include not being allowed to wear a jacket to stay warm unless he purchased one from the company, safety practices in the kitchen that have led to several injuries, and being unfairly passed over for positions that would have brought a higher wage.

A hospital spokesperson says they have researched the allegations brought forward by Moumen Al Khach, and that steps are being taken to investigate these complaints.

As to whether his position is in danger over becoming a "whistle blower," Marks said, "We cannot discuss personnel issues. What we can say is that we appreciate employees who bring information forward."

Moumen Al Khach is one man willing to take on a much larger force in order to correct what are in his eyes, a large number of unaddressed problems. He says he only wants to see fairness in the workplace, and he wants the hospital to do what is right, and, just as they expect of their cleaning staff, to clean house when necessary.

Salem-News.com Top Stories

2025: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

Two Wars with No Way Out

No One Owns the Future

The Ugly Origins of Trump's America First Policy

A One-State Solution Could Transform the World

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

Leanne February 15, 2008 6:58 am (Pacific time)

He simply should have been released from work. He had actual proof his child was very ill. He was bullied into staying on the job, but desperate enough to have to do it. I wish another place would offer him a better opportunity.

moumen@comcast.net February 7, 2008 3:27 pm (Pacific time)

to Mr. Russell Danielson Finally, We’ve got our benefits. Thanks to Mr. Russell Danielson for giving my wife and me benefits after over year asking and waiting. I’ll have mediation soon with the hospital, hop everything will be fixed soon.

manager February 7, 2008 3:24 pm (Pacific time)

Mr. Marlon Arriaga use to work as a supervisor at Nike for more than 10 years, Can you believe that he left his position to apply as on-call housekeeper at the hospital if there were no one promise him high position in few months? Hospital management can’t prove that he got his benefits with posted position. He got full time position with benefits even without positing it and within less that 6 months he becomes supervisor. He is godfather of the manager’s (Tina) son.

joe January 16, 2008 2:53 pm (Pacific time)

tina landeroes sucks as a manager her experince with commutacating with her fellow employes isn't there

SHERRY January 3, 2008 12:44 pm (Pacific time)

I ALSO HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER WHO WORKS FOR ST. VINCENT PROVIDENCE AND I ALSO THINK THEY TREAT THERE EMPLOYEEES WITH NO RESPECT,,I KNOW OF ALL THE SUPERVISORS THAT ARE BEING NAMED AND TALKED ABOUT. I ALSO THINK THEY ARE HORRIBLE AT KEEPING CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS TO THEMSELVES AND THEY ARE HORRIBLE AT REACTING TO SITUATIONS THAT GO ON IN THE HOSPITAL..THEY TREAT THERE EMPLOYEES LIKE THEY ARE THERE TO WORK FOR THEM LIKE SLAVES..I HAVE HAD MY FAMILY MEMBER COME HOME VERY UPSET OVER THESE SUPERISORS AND HOSPITAL..I HAVE ALSO HAD MY FAMILY MEMBER TRY TO REQUEST FOR A TRANSFER TO ANOTHER PROVIDENCE AND THEY GAVE THAT PERSON A BAD REFERENCE SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE QUALIFIED. I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO COPY AND PRINT THIS COMMENT IF YOU SHOULD NEED IT IN THE FUTURE FOR YOUR CASE AGAINST THE HOSPITAL..I HOPE THE THIS FAMILY GETS JUSTICE FOR WHAT THEY HAVE PUT THERE DAUGHTER AND THERE FAMILY THROUGH..ST.VINCENT HOSPITAL IS A HORRIBLE PLACE TO WORK FOR..HORRIBLE!!!HORRIBLE PLACE!!!JUST THINK,, THIS IS ALSO A CATHOLIC HOSPITAL BUT WITH NO RESPECT AND NO HEART..

January 3, 2008 5:31 am (Pacific time)

help...............fire those corrupted supervisor bring in the news

need union January 1, 2008 6:29 am (Pacific time)

i ask that please someone help us workers.....they are all terrible corrupted supervisor.. we cannot complain.or they will come back to us later..it not only vera it laura and e v e l y n..evelyn .laura.are the witch hunter.and the word is out that evelyn is going to be the new a.m.supervusor.evelyn is vera twin. god help us all

Tina December 15, 2007 9:40 am (Pacific time)

There is no time for the manager Tina to manage providence housekeeping department at Barnes road because she is manager for linen department at providence in Portland and she is only part time manager for that housekeeping.

Former Employee December 14, 2007 8:03 pm (Pacific time)

Well I have worked for Providence before in 2005. Providence is very family oriented, that's why it is so much drama going on. Providence don't care and expecally if your not american.

employee 101 November 27, 2007 9:23 pm (Pacific time)

vera I HOPE YOU GET FIRED! you are the worst most unproffessional supervisor i have ever had.....

another-Housekeeping attendent November 23, 2007 10:42 pm (Pacific time)

What is there to say, so many questions and concerns have gone the extra mile and yet no answer has come forth from “Providence St. Vincent”. This isn’t a problem that just appeared people; this has been going on for years now. Particularly in the environmental services department, rude, unjust treatment and yet it continues. What are we to do? We file complaints, over and over again from a variety of people and yet theses same individuals not only stay employed as supervisors but they continue to do the same thing. I thought this hospital stood for: Compassion, Justice, Respect, Excellence and stewardship? Looks like this place has fallen short of not only its mission but also its motto. What a bunch of hypocrites, clean house is what it needs but looks like as long as they turn the other cheek discrimination will continue in this department. Someone help were lost and being pushed around!

:) November 8, 2007 11:54 am (Pacific time)

LMAO

PHS Houskeeper November 5, 2007 11:35 am (Pacific time)

Someone applied for on-call housekeeper, after few months they give him full time position with benefits with out posting that job as normally they do. Then within less than 6 months they make him supervisor. Even there are some applicants from same department with over 20 years experience applied for supervisor position but they did not become supervisors. What the secret about that person how becomes supervisor within less than 6 months?!, I heard he is related to the manager’s husband.

???? November 4, 2007 6:53 pm (Pacific time)

I feel that the supervisors and managers are being unfair to workers. If you complain about it they make sure that they get back at you later for complaing about them and the mangers never give employees what they want and or need to do their job better. For example the managers or supervisors are buying up uniforms for the department that cost about 22 dollars a shirt even thought I can buy the same one at a store for 8 dollars but she wont allow it.

PHS Office Staff October 27, 2007 2:10 pm (Pacific time)

Yes, I know about that housekeeping department, it’s really corrupted management. Soon they will start writing him up 3 times for any reasons, then they will fire him. That was the instructions. They will never fire that protected supervisor or her manager. They should pay lots of money for what they did to that family before it goes to more media. This story will effect Providence name and their income for patents, insurance companies and donators

need UNION October 27, 2007 1:09 pm (Pacific time)

if there was UNION at Providence St. Vincent Hospital it will never happen like those stories, but the hospital’s management they don't want UNION and they are fighting for that, even they will fire every person talk about the UNION. Read about the UNION on this link http://www.seiu49.org/

answer to tesalonians8980 comment October 25, 2007 5:51 pm (Pacific time)

to tesalonians8980... i dont think you read this properly...he brought his child to work because he was no where to drop her off..where do you think he is going to drop her off? do you think he can leave her at school sick..it could have been a serious illness..who knows.. second of all St. Vincent is a HOSPITAL..that is where you take all the SICK people..and he took his daughter there for a reason..because his daughter was SICK and that place is a HOSPITAL!!!! not a fire department.. third of all how do you know he didn't report the needle incident?? of course he reported it...because of St. Vincents carelessness this incident happened..you think he would let it go like that?? I know I wouldn't and you wouldn't.. and last of all..no one would call you for a job..at least not me..and dog? cat?? please...your comparing a child to a cat and dog...please...your bringing up a different topic.. it says he is new to the US, "recently immigrated to the US." and you expect him to know everything at once, hes not a robot for pete's sake...i was once new to US and I learned everything step by step...

vvvvvvvv October 24, 2007 8:37 pm (Pacific time)

that supervisor is the most terrible supervisor i ever had i want her fired too along with the people protecting her.

tesalonians8980 October 24, 2007 8:31 pm (Pacific time)

wow! i think they are just gonna fire this poor immigrant guy who complain too much...wow..why did u brought your child at work? if you are responsible enough you should have just stayed home.instead of blaming it all at st.vincents.that was actually your choice to bring a child at work "NOT PROVIDENCE". have you ever heard of dress code? every hospital actually have one...not the jacket you wanted. i feel sorry for you your wife and your kid you will loose your job soon...if you need a job please dont call me . you might bring your cat or your dog at work and try to tell me that i haved abused them...THINK! and so you know next time you get actually get pricked by a needle. there is a place in the facility called "EMPLOYEE HEALTH". meaning you suppose to report what happen to you right away.did you actually attended your orientation at all?

Providence Employee October 24, 2007 1:03 am (Pacific time)

I know that supervisor, providence management protects her, if they pull out her file from HR; they will find many things to get her fired, but the management is corrupted too

KRS October 23, 2007 10:07 pm (Pacific time)

wow..i use to work at providence..and got injured this one time..and they didnt care at all.. thats why i dont like it there..discrimination man...discrimination..

James October 19, 2007 3:22 pm (Pacific time)

Why isn't this in the news...everyone should know about this and my gosh..for 2 hours?!?! I would allow that!

marty October 19, 2007 2:15 am (Pacific time)

If i had left my child home alone for 2 hours they would send me to jail and parenting classes they should do the same to the manager. Its sad this still hapens when higher ups give them selves higher standards than they give there employees.

good catholic parents October 19, 2007 12:58 am (Pacific time)

Channel 2, channel 12 and other local television should interview this family. Thank you Salem-News.

John October 18, 2007 6:46 pm (Pacific time)

That's horrible...they should pay for what happened.. If I were him I would sue.

casey98 October 17, 2007 4:20 pm (Pacific time)

yeah i hope those supervisors get fired and get replace with the good ones that have some common sense.

Welcome to USA October 17, 2007 8:42 am (Pacific time)

What they did is a (CHILD ABUSE) I’m sure PROVIDENCE St. Vincent Hospital will fire that manager and supervisor (CLEAN HOUSE). If the manager were good the supervisor will be good too. Where are the SISTERS of PROVIDENCE to see what is happening to there mission. They should pay to that family for what they did.

Reporter October 16, 2007 12:50 pm (Pacific time)

How corporate, how Catholic? - 01/23/06 Tax-exempt hospitals face questions over pay and uninsured care Article from the National Catholic Reporter Online (read this)===>> www.hospitalpricegouging.org/update5_012306.html

Fother who care October 16, 2007 11:18 am (Pacific time)

good catholic hospital with Corrupted management. no mercy, no respect, no compassion and no justice. think before you donate your money

tracy October 16, 2007 8:17 am (Pacific time)

I wish my job would let me bring my sick child to work and leave them alone on a couch. I'd save money on daycare and not lose and wages. Is providence hiring?

[Return to Top]