In the hopes of making staffs' lives better during these trying times, Mercy Health is raising wages.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems for four consecutive years by IBM Watson Health, will increase the starting pay for all employees throughout its multistate footprint. Its $18 million additional annual commitment will raise the pay of over 6,000 employees to $15 an hour.
"We decided to make the transition immediately, rather than in stages, because this critical decision can positively affect so many lives and families," Lynn Britton, Mercy president and CEO, told Cision PR Newswire. "It is our prayer and hope that this will ease the financial stress of many coworkers, regardless of where they work in our ministry, and let them know what they do matters greatly to the patients and families we serve every day."
The $15-per-hour wage will be implemented on Sunday, Sept. 19, and employees will see the increase in their paychecks as soon as Friday, Oct. 8.
The new rate would also serve as the starting wage for all newly hired employees.
The more than 6,000 employees who will receive a raise are some of those who are vital to delivering compassionate and exceptional health care services, including housekeepers, food service, transportation, and pharmacy, medical and lab technicians.
Mercy pledged to continue reviewing employee pay across all communities and job descriptions, and said that adjustments would be made appropriately, according to Cision PR Newswire.
