Two unions representing health care workers in Newfoundland and Labrador are demanding an investigation after an email that promised staff an extra day off turned out to be fake. The message had appeared to offer a welcome reward, but it left workers feeling deceived. The unions say the way it was handled was unacceptable.
According to the unions, the email promised health care workers an extra day off in recognition of their hard work. For staff who have faced demanding conditions, the offer came as a welcome surprise. Many were pleased at what looked like a gesture of appreciation from their employer.
The good feeling did not last long. Workers said the surprise turned sour the moment they clicked the button to register for the day off. What had seemed like a reward quickly became something very different.
After clicking, staff found out that the email was actually a phishing test run by the employer. Rather than offering a real day off, the message had been designed to see whether workers would click on it. The realization left many feeling tricked by their own organization.
Union representatives reacted with anger to the exercise. One said it was not in good taste, describing it as very insensitive and very disrespectful to their members. They argued that dangling a fake reward in front of hard-working staff crossed a line.
The unions representing the health care workers are now demanding action. They want assurances that something like this never happens again. Their call for an investigation reflects how strongly members reacted to being misled.
Phishing tests are simulated cyber attacks that organizations use to teach employees to be careful when opening emails. They are meant to train staff to spot suspicious messages before a real attack can do harm. In this case, the unions said the method chosen caused more hurt than help.