On Monday of this week, court proceedings began in the suit of a former Pfizer employee who claimed she was fired as the result of being infected by a genetically engineered virus she was working on. Becky McClain alleges that a lack in laboratory safety led her to be infected with a virus that is now causing her intermittent paralysis. McClain also alleges that after she reported her concerns to Pfizer and the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) she was fired for “blowing the whistle” on Pfizer’s below standard safety procedures. McClain has filed her claim under Connecticut’s whistle-blower laws.
McClain’s lawsuit is, in fact, a crisis for Pfizer. A former employee is not only saying that the company failed to protect her personal safety, but they fired her because she tried to tell the world about it. Attacks on companies do not get much worse than this. However, Pfizer is handling this lawsuit and its ensuing crisis beautifully.
Pfizer lucked out in that OSHA is on the drug giant’s side. McClain’s complaint was dismissed after OSHA reviewed the evidence and even went as far as to criticize her for not accepting the accommodations Pfizer was willing to offer (Pfizer offered to move her to a different facility where she would be exposed to less vigorous viruses). With OSHA on their side, Pfizer has a credible third party to state that the company’s safety practices are up to par. A fact that they have been stating to every news outlet that asks for an interview. Pfizer should also consider publishing fact sheets or creating a video of what safety measures are taken in their labs.
Pfizer also claims that McClain was fired for failure to attend work and that the connection made between her symptoms and the virus were made after the fact. If Pfizer can prove that McClain never mentioned a possible connection prior to being fired, she loses her case, as it cannot be filed under the whistle-blower statutes. The company is also doing a great job at utilizing a single spokesperson – public relations specialist, Elizabeth Power. Power is the only person commenting on the case, an important element to ensure continuity in the information being disseminated.
Despite the potential fallout from this lawsuit, Pfizer is doing a great job at sticking to the facts and providing cohesiveness to the messages being disseminated. As long as they keep doing what they are doing, Pfizer should be able to make it out of this crisis without a huge hit to their reputation.
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