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Public Employee Press: PEP Talk

Health care workers bonus pay update

By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

In mid-October, New York State began processing payment of the Health Care and Mental Hygiene Worker Bonus covering the first two vesting periods, from Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022. The program pays bonuses of up to $3,000 to eligible full and part-time employees, temporary and contracted workers.

Health + Hospitals: For Vesting Period 1, NYC Health + Hospitals filed bonuses for 9,128 employees who received a bonus payment in the collective amount of $13.7 million.

Mayoral Agencies: For Vesting Period 1, NYC Mayoral agencies filed for bonuses for 5,092 employees, mostly EMS and DOHMH, who received a collective total of $7.6 million.

Non-profit Agencies: A number of members in non-profit agencies represented by DC 37 who provide residential care or mental health care also received HWB payments.

Department of Education: Employees in the titles of Health Service Aides and Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialists will be included in the Department of Education submission to the State for Vesting Periods 1 and 2. No payment date is available yet.

The first vesting period covers Oct. 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. The second vesting period covers April 1 to Sept. 30, 2022.

The union is aware that some employees may have been missed in Vesting Period 1 and therefore the employers will submit their names, if eligible, during the next submission period.

If you believe your work was involved in direct patient care and did not receive an attestation letter from your employer, please contact your agency’s HR department first, and then your union representative.

The HWB program continues until March 31, 2024, with a maximum of two vesting periods per eligible employee. DC 37 continues to push for an expansion of titles and employers eligible to participate in the HWB program.

For program details, contact the Health Care Worker Bonus Call Center at 866.682.0077.

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