• •Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) sent a simulated phishing email promising employees a day off to test cybersecurity awareness.
• •Internal data suggests the move aimed to measure how staff respond to urgent, emotionally driven prompts in their inbox.
• •Uncertainty remains regarding the number of employees who clicked the link and whether staff morale was negatively impacted by the deceptive nature of the test.

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services recently sent staff a simulated phishing email claiming they were entitled to a day off. This tactic, documented by CBC, was part of an internal cybersecurity assessment designed to evaluate how workers handle suspicious digital communication. While similar phishing simulations are standard in many organizations, this approach drew criticism for using employee time off as a lure. The incident raises questions about the ethical balance between strengthening IT security and maintaining workplace trust.