BECAUSE
BECAUSE SHE SAYS IT WASN'T WORTH THE RISK.
>> AND I'M PLANNING 4@SIX WEEKS
PREGNANT, CONSTANTLY WHERE I
CAN'T RISK HER OR JEOPARDIZE MY
CHILD.
CHILD.
CHILD. >>
CHILD. >> Reporter: AIR FORCE VETERAN
CARLY WADE SAYS SHE AND HER
HUSBAND STRUGGLED THROUGH
MISCARRIAGES BEFORE FINALLY
GETTING TO CELEBRATE THIS
PREGNANCY.
PREGNANCY. I SPOKE TO HER LAST THURSDAY.
>> YESTERDAY WAS MY LAST DAY.
AND SO I WORKED FOR THE VA FOR
THREE YEARS.
THREE YEARS. >> Reporter: CARLY WORKED A 4@N-
MEDICAL DESK JOB AT THE
VETERANS 4@AFFAIRS CENTER.
AS CORONAVIRUS CA4@SES INCREASE
SHE GOT INCREASINGLY WORRIED.
>> AND MY DEPARTMENT
SPECIFICALLY HAS CHANGED
NOTHING EVEN YESTERDAY, 4@NOTHI
SPECIFICALLY HAS CHANGED NOTHING EVEN YESTERDAY, 4@NOTHI@
HAS CHANGED.
HAS CHANGED. IT'S4@ BUSINESS AS USUAL.
>> Reporter: CARLY WAS AMONG
2,200 EMPLOYEES OF THE
MARTINSBURG V
MARTINSBURG V >> THE INTERIM DIRECTOR TOLD ME
IN AN INTERVIEW THAT 3.6% OF
HIS STAFF WAS TELEWORKING.
A SPOKESPERSON CONFIRMED THAT
NUMBER HADN'T CHANGED.
THAT'S ONLY 79 PEOPLE OUT OF
2,200.
2,200.
2,200. A
2,200. A NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES REACHED
OUT TO ME QUESTIONING VA
MANAGEMENT DECISIONS.
MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. IN THAT APRIL 1 INTERVIEW, I
ALSO SPOKE TO THE VA MEDICAL
CENTER CHIEF WITH MEDICAL
SERVICES.
SERVICES.
SERVICES. >> I WANT THEM TO KNOW THE
HOSPITAL'S APPROACH IS NOT
HAZARDOUS THAT IS THOUGHTFUL
AND DELIBERATE.
AND DELIBERATE. >> Reporter: CARLY WORKED FOR A
UNIT CALLED CARE IN THE
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. IT'S AN OUTREA4@CH PROGRAM THAT
WILL PLUG VETERANS IN WITH THE
COMMUNITY DOCTORS IF THE VA
COULD NOT HELP WITH THEIR
SPECIFIC NEEDS.
SPECIFIC NEEDS. >> AND IT IS JUST PAPERWORK.
THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT OUR
JOBS.
JOBS.
JOBS. >>
JOBS. >> Reporter: AND HER REQUEST TO
GO REMOTE WERE DENIED BY HER
SUPERVISOR.
SUPERVISOR. >> THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL
OCCASIONS WHERE ALL OF US, SHE
IS SHOUTING AT US, STOP ASKING
ME ABOUT TELEWORK, YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO BE TELEWORKING.
YOUR NUMBERS AREN'T GOOD
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. STOP ASKING ME.
>> Reporter: CARLY'S CO-WORKERS
BACKED UP THE ACCOUNT, SO WE
WANTED TO KNOW IF THEY ARE
PUTTING EMPLOYEE'S HEALTH OVER
RISK OVER FEARS PRODUCTIVITY
MIGHT SUFFER IF THEY WORK
REMOTELY.
REMOTELY.
REMOTELY. WHY WOULDN'T THE BOSSES HERE
MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR SOMEONE
COMING TO WORK SIX MONTHS
PREGNANT?
PREGNANT?
PREGNANT? I REPEATEDLY REACHED OUT AND
CONNECTED WITH OFFICIALS AT THE
I REPEATEDLY REACHED OUT AND CONNECTED WITH OFFICIALS AT THE@
MARTINSBURG VA.
MARTINSBURG VA. I SPOKE TO THE INTERIM DIRECTOR
AND CHIEF MEDICAL DIRECTOR ON
APRIL 1 FOR A BROADER STORY
ABOUT WHY VA 4@EMPLOYEES WEREN'
BEING ALLOWED TO TELEWORK.
SINCE THAT TIME WHEN MY
QUESTIONS TURNED TO CARLY'S
SPECIFIC CASE AND I ASKED WHY
THEM WORK WAS BEING DENIED 4@TO
PREGNANT WOMAN AND WHAT
PREVENTIVE MEASURES WERE BEING
TAKEN TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES.
WELL THE MARTINSBURG VA DID NOT
RESPOND TO MY 4@MULTIPLE REQUES
FOR COMMENTS.
FOR COMMENTS. THE AMERICAN 4@FEDERATION OF
GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES PRESIDENT
DR. ED4@WARD KELLY TALKED TO
WUSA9 LAST WEEK AFTER HIS UNION
DR. ED4@WARD KELLY TALKED TO WUSA9 LAST WEEK AFTER HIS UNION@
FILED A SUIT ON 4@BEHALF OF
260,000 VA EMPLOYEES ABOUT
CURRENT WORKING CONDITIONS AT
VA MEDICAL CENTERS.
>> THEY ARE PUTTING EMPLOYEES
THROUGH A LOT OF 4@RISK TAKING
BUREAUCRACY TO ENSURE THEY
WOULD BEAT THEM DOWN AND SO
THEY WOULD PROBABLY GO AWAY.
>> Reporter: HERE IS AN EXAMPLE
WHEN I SPOKE 4@TO 4@MARTINSBURG
KENNETH ALLENSWORTH, INDICATING
THEY NEEDED4@ FIVE DIFFERENT
LEVELS OF APPROVAL IN 4@ORDER T
TELEWORK.
TELEWORK.
TELEWORK. I ALSO ASKED IF TELEWORK
OPTIONS WOULD BE BROADENED.
>> WE'RE LOOKING AT NUMEROUS
FIRST PLACE 4@AUTHORITIES TO
INCLUDE STAGGERING OF SHIFTS,
RELOCATION OF 4@ACTIVITIES OR
OFFICES TO MINIMIZE EXPOSURE.
AND 4@THEN CERTAINLY TELEWORK.
AND EACH OF THOSE ARE CASE-BY-
CASE BASIS 4@AS OPERATIONALLY
APPROPRIATE.
APPROPRIATE. >> Reporter: SINCE SHE'S A
VETERAN HERSELF, CARLY'S
PRIMARY DOCTOR IS WITH THE
MARTINSBURG VA.
MARTINSBURG VA. SHE GOT A LETTER, A FACT 4@SHEE
ABOUT PREGNANCIES AND COVID-19
SAYING IT IS TOO SOON 4@TO KNOW
THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 4@ON A
FETUS.
FETUS.
FETUS. BUT HAD SHE NOT QUIT, SHE WOULD
BE EXPECTED TO BE RIGHT THERE
AT HER DESK WITH DOZENS OF 4@
OTHERS4@ IN A CONFINED WORK
SPACE.
SPACE.
SPACE. >>
SPACE. >> THEY JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT
PEOPLE, WE ARE JUST NUMBERS.
>> AND THE 4@PRESS SECRETARY
HEADQUARTERS CONFIRMED TO ME
THAT STAFFING CONDITIONS ARE
BEING MADE ACROSS 4@THE COUNTRY
THOSE ORDERS ARE NOT COMING
DOWN FROM THE SECRETARY OR BY
ANYONE ELSE IN WASHINGTON.
DESPITE THE FACT HER FORMER
COLLEAGUES ARE STILL HAVING TO
GO4@ IN TO WORK AT THE OFFICE I
MARTINSBURG.
MARTINSBURG. PEOPLE WHO DO THAT EXACT SAME
JOB AT THE MEDICAL CENTER IN DC
AND BALTIMORE, MANY OF THEM
ARE, IN FACT, WORKING REMOTELY
RIGHT NOW, I ASKS ADD IF THEY 4@
COULD TELL ME WHAT PERCENTAGE
OF THE EMPLOYEES WERE WORKING
AT OTHER MEDICAL CENTERS LIKE
THE ONES IN BALTIMORE.
I WAS TOLD THEY NEEDED 4@TO