Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System will offer two financial incentives to employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 1.
The first incentive is a $500 special appreciation payment given in October, according to a memo sent to staff and shared with Becker's Aug. 24. Employees who are fully vaccinated by Oct. 1 are also eligible for a year-end award in 2022,typically $500 for those working 1,800-plus hours.
"With a body of evidence showing that the vaccines are safe and effective and a surge of unvaccinated, severely ill patients overflowing the hospital, now is the time to take the next step in raising employee vaccination rates," said Sarasota Memorial in the memo. "As the county's largest employer and the region's healthcare leader, we want to set an example for our community and do all we can to end the pandemic."
As of Aug. 24, about 70 percent of Sarasota Memorial's 7,400-member team had received the vaccine.