Columbus Regional Health has temporarily reduced work time for non-direct patient care staff across the hospital system due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
Under the temporary reductions, staff who are not involved in direct patient care, including CRH leadership, have been instructed to reduce their work time by 25% from April 28 to May 23, said CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue.
The work time reduction impacts between 350 and 500 employees, or roughly 25% of CRH’s workforce, but does not include bedside clinical staff or impact the hospital system’s ability to treat COVID-19 patients or other medical emergencies, DeClue said.
Employees can use paid time off to avoid a reduction in pay, but employees who do not have paid time off, or choose not to use it, will see a 25% reduction in pay, CRH officials said.
DeClue said hospital system has not laid off any employees.
CRH officials will reevaluate the measure over the next few weeks as the hospital system continues phasing in elective procedures that had been halted in March to meet the health needs of potential COVID-19 patients, protect against exposure and potential spread of the virus, and to ensure that medical resources are readily available.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
