UMass Memorial giving $500 pandemic bonuses

Photo | Grant Welker UMass Memorial Health Care President and CEO Eric Dickson

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By Grant Welker

UMass Memorial Health Care is giving bonuses of $500 to full-time caregivers and smaller amounts to those who work part time, President and CEO Dr. Eric Dickson said in a staff memo Monday.

The bonuses take a step further what Dickson has said since the height of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring: He won't let the financial hit the hospital network has taken lead to layoffs or furloughs or other financial decisions that could harm the hospitals longer-term in their ability to provide care.

UMass Memorial Health Care is the largest employer in Central Massachusetts, with about 14,000 employees, although only a portion of those are caregivers.

Worcester-based UMass Memorial is working with the UMass Medical School to ensure that all residents and fellows who worked during the early wave of the pandemic are included. Part-time and per-diem caregivers who work 20 hours a week or more will receive $250, and those who work less often will receive $125. Workers who've been hired since July 1 aren't eligible.

UMass Memorial is giving a fleece jacket with the word "Relentless" embroidered on it, a way, Dickson said, to commemorate workers' perseverance and commitment to getting through the health crisis.

"An important part of our culture here at UMass Memorial Health Care is to celebrate our successes," Dickson wrote. "If we could gather in person, we would have a huge party to celebrate the incredible challenges we overcame, the sacrifices that were made, and the blood, sweat and tears that were poured into our response and recovery during the chaotic crisis we have experienced these past nine months."