UPMC and Allegheny Health Network, both based in Pittsburgh, have largely returned to normal payroll operations after temporarily adjusting them earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic, they confirmed to Becker's Hospital Review.
To help its 89,000 workers during the pandemic, UPMC introduced a program March 30 that called for paying staff at its current rate for normally scheduled hours through May 9.
After May 9, the health system returned to normal payroll operations. The program had protected pay through May 9 for workers who were redeployed to work in areas outside of their usual work sites, and for workers who were asked not to report to work but were called back on short notice.
UPMC also established an employee health team to determine if employees were at risk from COVID-19 and able to redeploy or otherwise protect the workers, said spokesperson Susan Manko. She said the health system also continued to pay employees who met CDC criteria for potentially being infected to stay home for two weeks. No employees saw their paid time off reduced during the pay protection period.
Allegheny Health Network introduced a pay protection program April 3 for its approximately 21,000 employees. The program had called for continuing to pay employees who experience reduced work hours, take alternative work assignments or work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the network continued to pay employees who were unable to work onsite or at home due to quarantine orders, are self-quarantined as advised by their healthcare provider, are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking treatment, or because they are caring for someone who is quarantined.
As of this week, AHN has resumed standard pay practices for time worked and time off for most employees, said spokesperson Dan Laurent.
He said the network has resumed standard payroll practices "except for employees who are still directly affected by COVID-19 because they are sick due to COVID-19, quarantined or caring for someone who is sick or quarantined." Those employees will still receive pay under the pay protection program introduced April 3.
"We've moved back to standard pay practices in response to the flattened pandemic curve in the greater western Pennsylvania region that we serve and the gradual return to more normalized operations that has begun," said Mr. Laurent.