Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine, is offering early retirement buyouts to 99 employees in an effort to cut expenses, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Nurses and several other positions are eligible for the buyouts, which would be a week's pay for every year of employment, capped at 52 weeks, according to the report. The offer is only available to employees who are 60 or older and have worked at Mercy for at least 10 years.
Hospital spokesman Wayne Clark told the Portland Press Herald that financial issues drove the decision to offer the buyouts. He said once the buyout program — which was described as a "one-time offer" to employees — is over, hospital management will decide whether to refill or leave positions vacant.
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