Thanks to the hard work of SEIU-UHW members, over a billion dollars will be put into the hands of hospital workers across California.
After the release of SEIU-UHW’s “Crisis in Care” report on short-staffing in California healthcare, the Legislature and Governor Newsom included more than $1 billion for retention payments for healthcare workers in the state budget signed by the Governor on June 30. This one-time state program is based on certain qualifications and whether or not an employer registered.
DETAILS
Our Bonus is On the Way
The state released all bonus funds to employers by April 5th and employers must pay bonuses to workers within 60 days. We are working with each individual employer to find out their timeline and will let you know as soon as we have more information. This will be a one-time payment of up to $1,500 for workers at hospitals.
Questions? Talk to your SEIU-UHW union rep, steward or executive board member. You can get their names and contact info at our member-only website: www.myUHW.org
Full-time workers will receive a one-time bonus of $1,000. Full-time is defined as anyone who is either designated a full-time employee working onsite or who was paid for at least 400 in-person hours between July 30 and October 28, 2022 and was still employed as of November 28, 2022.
Part-time (including on-call or per diem) workers will receive a one-time bonus of $750. Part-time is defined as someone who is not designated a full-time employee and who was paid for between 100 and 399 in-person hours between July 30 and October 28, 2022 and was still employed as of November 28, 2022.
In addition, if your employer gave you a bonus between December 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022, it will be matched by the state up to an additional $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will my bonus be? Full-time workers will receive $1,000 and part-time workers will receive $750. You can get up to an additional $500 if your employer provided a bonus above those amounts during 12/1/2021-12/31/2022.
I’m classified part-time (or on-call, or per diem), but I work full-time hours most of the time. Will I get the full-time bonus amount? You will get the full-time bonus amount if you are paid for at least 400 hours during the 91-day qualifying window. That is an average of about 31 hours per week.
I’m classified full-time, but I haven’t been working that many hours recently. Will I get the full-time bonus or the part-time bonus? If you are classified full-time, you will get the full-time bonus amount, regardless of the number of hours actually worked or paid.
When will I get my bonus? The state will release the bonus funds to employers by April 5th and employers must pay bonuses to workers within 60 days. We will be working with each individual employer to find out their timeline, and will let you know as soon as we have more information.
Will new employees get a bonus too? Yes. Any healthcare worker employed during the qualifying work period of July 30, 2022 and October 28, 2022 and working enough hours will receive a bonus.
Why will it take so long to receive the bonus? It will take some time for the state to determine who is eligible, which will be based in part on an employer submitting the names of workers to state, including the size of the state bonus for each of its eligible workers. The state has created the guidelines for who will qualify and for how much. The employer’s role is to simply submit the names of its workers to the state and then distribute the checks to the workers.
How will I get my check? Your employer will send you a check but your employer will be reimbursed by the state for distributing that check.
What happens if my employer distributes an incorrect amount to me? The state will create a dispute resolution process that will allow a worker an opportunity to receive the full amount they are entitled to.
