Healthcare employers around the U.S. are finding ways to compensate employees for their patient dedication during the pandemic. Read on to find out more about COVID-19 pay, bonuses and incentives offered by some companies during the pandemic.
I live in Alabama and the pandemic has opened my eyes to how nurses pay in my state trails behind compensation in most other states. This has been the case throughout my 27 years of nursing, but I always thought it was because of our lower cost of living. Currently, Alabama is ranked the 3rd lowest in nursing pay when compared to compensation in other states. The high number of people with chronic illness contributed to the ranking of #10 in states with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths per capita.
To better understand the pay gap, I try to learn more about any staffing and pay issues in other states. I've compiled information from recent news articles to discover how employers in other states are showing nurse appreciation through pay incentives.
Houston Methodist Offers "You Rock" and "Hope" bonuses
Houston Methodist hospital is offering a bonus to thank workers for persevering in 2020 and to also to spread hope for the months to come. COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory for employees, but it is included in the bonus eligibility criteria. In November 2020, Houston Methodist gave a "you rock" bonus to recognize employees for their hard work during the pandemic. The Houston Methodist system consists of 8 hospitals with around 26,000 employees.
Vanderbilt Nurses Get Pay Raise
Vanderbilt University Health System, in Nashville, announced pay raises for their nurses early in the pandemic. In April 2020, a local new station brought forward a complaint from a nurse frustrated with the dramatically higher pay rates of travel nurses. In a statement released by VUMC, administration announced a pay increase for all nurses and nurse managers involved in direct patient care.
Texas Children's Hospital Receive Special Stipend
In January, Houston's Texas Children's Hospital recognized employees' hard work during the pandemic with a special stipend. Full-time employees received a $500 stipend and part-time employees were given a $250 stipend. These same stipends were distributed in April 2020 before the pandemic's peak.
Wake Forest Baptist Health Increases Pay for 60% of Employees
Wake Forest Baptist Health announced plans on March 3rd to pay increases for about 60% of their total employees. CEO, Dr. Julie Ann Freischlag, expressed gratitude in a news release, stating "I have personally witnessed their dedication to our patients and their families and have seen them provide such comfort and assistance, no matter their job". The initiative will include the following:
Increase base pay to $15.00 per hour, or
Increase pay by 2%, whichever is greater
Increase in minimum nurses pay rate
Nurses in professional salary plans to receive a $1.00 increase.
Night, evening and weekend shift differentials will be adjusted based on market analysis
The health system has more than 20,000 employees and about 12,000 will see pay increases in April 2021.
CVS Shows Gratitude
In December 2020, CVS gave nearly 200,000 workers a $250.00 bonus for their hard work during the pandemic. In addition, the company adjusted pay for some employees to help off-set loss of income related to the virus.
Virginia County Gives Hazard Pay Bonus
High risk workers in Virginia's Fairfax County received a one-time hazard pay bonus of up to $2,000 in February 2021. Eligible employees include those working in the following positions:
Medical transport providers
Hospital workers
Dental staff
Medical staff
Mortuary services
Non Medical support staff
Long term care staff
Home health workers
A Fairfax Board of Supervisors member, Jeff McKay shared the following statement with a local news channel:
"Our first responders and other members of our county staff put their lives on the line every day, risking contracting COVID-19 in their work with the community."
COVID-19 Vaccination Incentives
Some companies are offering incentives to their essential workers who choose to be vaccinated. The incentives are designed to ease any of the work barriers employees have in getting the one or both doses. Here are a few companies offering incentives:
Aldi
The grocery store will pay hourly employees up to four hours pay if they get vaccinated (two for each dose) and pay the cost of administration.
Dollar General
Offers a one-time payment equal to 4 hours pay to employees who opt for vaccination. However, it does not make it a requirement.
Darden Restaurants
Darden Restaurants is offering paid time off for vaccination, two hours pay for each COVID-19 dose. The pay will be based on workers total earning including tips. Darden Restaurants operates chains including Olive Garden and Longhorn Steakhouse.
Have You Received An Incentive?
Let's shed more light on what the industry is doing (and not doing) to acknowledge hard work and risks employees are faced with the coronavirus. Let's share what's going on in our corner of the country.
Specializes in Clinical Leadership, Staff Development, Education.
On 3/27/2021 at 2:53 PM, Rose_Queen said:
Except that in the vast majority of cases, the funds paid don't actually cover the care provided. My facility has several patients STILL IN ICU who have been admitted for so long they're considered COVID recovered. But they're still taking up ICU space and vents and ECMO with no end in sight. Do you have any idea how much that actually costs? Do you really think the reimbursement even comes close to those costs? It's just like any other diagnosis- here's the reimbursement. Sucks to be you if it doesn't actually cover the costs.
No raises this year, but they did pay out the annual incentive bonus we get when meeting organizational goals, even though we didn't meet them.
On 3/27/2021 at 11:24 AM, CalicoKitty said:
The hospital I work at did a few things. They had a special 'covid sick pay' that did not come out of pto or normal sick leave. They gave a bonus of up to $1000 to patient contact staff (I forget all of the included staff members). And they gave a hefty pay increase to nurses and patient techs (assistants) of $5 and $2.50. I have heard there had been some previous reductions in staff overall (perhaps some of those that had been long-time employees). So, balancing likely occurred...
Specializes in OR SCRUBULATOR, Nurse Practitioner.
My hospital gave nurses (all employees got a stipend, but depending on your position, your stipend amount varied) $2,500, if you worked full-time hours for even one week during the covid surge.
They provided 20 days of daycare, and if you just had your children at home, they gave you 100 dollars per day to pay someone else to look after them (even if that was a family member).
They gave like 14 days of COVID sick time in addition to whatever number of sick days you already had. They paid for hotels for staff to stay in for a month so quarantine safely away from their families. They provided transportation vouchers/parking waivers/shuttles. They provided 3 square meals (some of which were donated by the community) for months.
None of my coworkers were laid off. Some of us were reassigned, some of us went on leave. They offered early pensions, and extended insurance coverage (was it lifetime? I don't remember but I think so) to those eligible to, or short of retirement eligibility. So a ton of older nurses were able to safely retire, still get their pay, full insurance, and then have pension kick in).
We still got our yearly increases and our experience pay (applicable to the month you became licensed as an RN).
I'll poop on my organization for lots of things. They were back and forth with the information regarding the virus (like we all were), our PPE was tight and we had to reuse it for a long time. We had lots of issues with middle management being stingy and unreasonable, but the hospital as a whole, overall? Impeccable.
Vaccines are required otherwise it results in automatic termination, so while I wish I had a choice in the matter, I went ahead and got the shot, because I know outside of my organization? It's ghetto.
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
My union had made such a crapshow of the negotiations process the year before COVID, I think the organization was happy to be able to say "there's nothing in your negotiated contract about an incentive", so we didn't get anything. Can't say I really blame them, I wasn't happy with how the negotiations went as a union member either. Oh well. We didn't face nearly the awful conditions many other places did, I'm not too upset about it.
J.Adderton, BSN, MSN
121 Articles; 502 Posts
Wow! Mind if I ask what state you live in?