Examining Negligence: Mass General Hospital's Employee Challenges

Understanding Negligence in Healthcare

Massachusetts General Hospital, often praised for its world-class care, is facing renewed scrutiny — not for medical malpractice, but for a pattern of recent failures that have harmed the very workers who keep its reputation alive.

An MGH employee recently had their state-protected Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) claim denied because the hospital’s HR department provided the wrong federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) — the most basic form of employment verification. The mistake cost the employee weeks of lost income and a rescinded job offer.

“My supervisor didn’t even know what an EIN was,” the employee stated. “That one error wrecked everything. They denied my claim. They killed a job opportunity. And now they want to act like it’s no big deal?”

This wasn’t a one-off error. In just the past three years, Mass General and its affiliates have been hit with over $20 million in federal and state penalties, spanning fraud, safety violations, and hazardous waste mismanagement. Add to that the mishandling of employee leave documentation, and the trend is impossible to ignore: the institution is failing its own people at every level.

The Worst Violation: $14.6 Million for Federal False Claims

In 2022, MGH paid $14.6 million to settle allegations under the False Claims Act. The case, initiated by a whistleblower, accused the hospital of improper billing and misuse of government funds. This wasn’t a routine audit—it was a federal lawsuit exposing deep cracks in internal oversight.

That same year, an affiliated facility was fined an additional $5.7 million for similar conduct. Then in 2023, the hospital’s parent organization, Mass General Brigham, paid $8.25 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over mismanagement of employee 403(b) retirement accounts — another blow to the financial well-being of staff.

By 2024, violations continued to mount, with penalties for hazardous waste mishandling and workplace safety violations confirming that the breakdown wasn’t limited to the billing office — it was system-wide.

Public Image, Private Abuse

Mass General wants the public to see white coats, sterile excellence, and research breakthroughs. But behind the PR veneer is a hospital that has shown, time and again, that it cannot manage its internal responsibilities — to its workforce, to regulators, or to the public.

“If a hospital can’t manage a W-2 and a leave form,” said one labor expert, “how can it be trusted to manage a workforce — let alone someone’s health?”