Pierce County health care system unveils new incentives to help retain workers
Tacoma-based MultiCare on Thursday announced it was taking steps to offer various relief to employees as its industry struggles to retain health care workers in the pandemic.
According to Thursday’s announcement, “The goal of these programs, which represent a $53.5 million investment by the system, is to reward and retain employees as the organization weathers historic patient volumes and workforce shortages.”
“The past 18 months have been among the most challenging we have faced, both at MultiCare and in our communities,” said Bill Robertson, president and CEO of MultiCare. “While these challenging times aren’t over, we believe it’s important to recognize the exceptional work of our team members — our organization’s most valuable asset.”
The measures, according to Thursday’s announcement, include:
▪ A 2.5 percent wage increase for all non-union staff. Union staff wages are negotiated separately.
▪ Variable retention bonuses: The bonuses are being offered “in many front-line, difficult-to-fill hospital and clinical positions to support them in their choice to remain with the organization.”
▪ $1,000 appreciation bonuses, which are being distributed to “every employee below the senior vice president level to thank them for their dedication and commitment during the pandemic.”
According to Thursday’s announcement, the health system is now hiring to fill 3,700 clinical and non-clinical roles across its system in Washington, which includes 11 hospitals in the Puget Sound region and the Spokane area.
The health system said it has partnered with Bright Horizons to offer emergency back-up child care and elder care for employees, along with “virtual tutoring and college coaching for their children.
“Other services for employees include wellness programs, free mental health support and emergency funding to assist employees in crisis.”
The struggle to retain workers has been a complex issue as the pandemic has presented wave after wave of cases in the Tacoma area after the first COVID-19 case was reported in March 2020. Officials speaking at briefings hosted by the Washington State Hospital Association have repeatedly emphasized that staffing issues at all hospitals were a concern before the pandemic but are now exacerbated because of it.
Health systems have lost workers to traveling job opportunities, which pay more, as well as burnout, retirements and those who left over the state’s vaccine mandate for health workers.
MultiCare told The News Tribune that as of Oct. 18, 98 percent of its employees were compliant with the mandate.
Three unions representing health care workers in a joint statement issued in mid-September offered various examples of issues, including signing bonuses of up to $20,000 to move to a different hospital.
“Retention bonuses for frontline workers who have stayed on the job, adequate pay for extra hours worked, and aggressive hiring to staff at full capacity would go a long way right now,” said Jane Hopkins, RN, executive vice president of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, in the September statement.
This story was originally published October 28, 2021 at 3:15 PM.
