Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System is increasing its minimum wage to $15 an hour, which will affect about 3,000 employees in Wisconsin and Illinois.
The increase will happen Oct. 31, and nearly all 13,000 of the system's employees will also receive salary increases, according to an Oct. 15 news release from HSHS.
Currently, the state minimum wage is $11 an hour in Illinois and $7.25 an hour in Wisconsin. HSHS has nine hospitals and 183 clinics in Illinois and six hospitals in Wisconsin.
The wage increase comes a little over a year after the system had to reduce its workforce by 10 percent because of financial challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We feel it's important to raise the HSHS minimum wage rate even a step higher right now so that we can better retain and attract the most engaged, committed and talented people to fulfill our healing mission," said HSHS President and CEO Damond Boatwright. "HSHS is committed to investing in our colleagues by providing a total compensation and benefits package that recognizes each individual for their personal contribution to the exceptional service our patients expect."