Cleveland OKs Jail Time for Threatening Hospital Workers, Faults Hospitals that Make Victims Use PTO to Press Charges

Cleveland OKs jail time for threatening hospital workers, faults hospitals that make victims use PTO to press charges

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland City Council has moved forward with stricter criminal penalties for threatening healthcare workers, including mandatory jail time, while also sending some hospitals a blunt message: Stop forcing employees to use their own paid time off to pursue prosecution.

Cleveland may mandate jail time for threatening healthcare workers

Cleveland City Council is getting closer to increasing criminal penalties for threatening healthcare workers, following spirited discussions about how or whether the law could address the problem.   The Cleveland Clinic asked the council to consider the legislation last fall in response to rising workplace violence. Hospital leaders worried staff were not reporting incidents, which were growing more common, and they needed the city’s support to …