Salary cuts due to virus?

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   wildernessposted 5 years ago

   Another very much unexpected fallout from the virus.  One of the major hospitals in my home (Boise, Id) announced it is cutting salaries and hours.  Primarily for the upper echelon at this time, but it is still a cut in pay.
   
   With the drastic fall off of discretionary surgeries and tests the hospital is fast running out of money and soon won't be able to make payroll.  With way more than 500 employees they aren't eligible for the stimulus, and we haven't been hit with Covid patients yet, so...no income for the hospital.
   
   That's something I'd be no one thought of - a hospital without business, running out of money for payroll in the middle of a pandemic!  Certainly I didn't!

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      Sharlee01posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      The other day at the daily Taskforce it was mentioned that they were working on forms on bonuses for medical workers.  Hopefully, this will be in the fourth stimulus bill.  The President also spoke about slowly opening states that had the virus under control.  Hopefully, this is soon.

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         wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I certainly hope that things begin to quieten.  Don't expect it for a month or more, but hoping.
         
         From personal knowledge of loved ones, we badly need to do something for small business.  Not those with 500 or 50 or even 5 employees, but those without any at all.  Just the owner working - right now there is nothing but a loan to help them out and that isn't going to help many of them for they cannot pay it back even if things come back.  These are people working hard - usually VERY hard - to make a go of it and simply cannot survive even a month or two without income. 
         
         Truck drivers are another group that seem forgotten.  They keep us all alive as much as health care workers, but no one sees them and no one cares much.  Rest areas closed, truck stops without showers or restaurants, even bathrooms are problematic at some.  How do you live on the road without such things?  And they go everywhere, interacting with people, and materials, all over the country.  Talk about exposure!

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            Sharlee01posted 5 years agoin reply to this

            Wilderness, You have pointed out some very critical problems. For any business owners that are Sole proprietors at the point, it appears they are only eligible for the new extended unemployment with $600.00 over what their salary would have been. As you said they can get a loan but without the ability to say they are keeping on employees they would have to pay the loan back.
            
            It is apparent Governors have closed the truck stops leaving trucker shafted. We have one recourse, that would be to call our
            Governor's office and make sure we alert them to our concerns.
            As I said I heard that the fourth stimulus bill may provide bonuses for medical workers.
            
            I can understand all of your concerns. However, perhaps it's time we realize, this crisis came out of the blue. The government has not been forced to handle a crisis of this magnitude in a very long time. We may not have the right to play the blame game at this point. The media is spurring on negativity, which is not helping the situation.
            
            Yes, this is horrible, yes this is scary, most individuals realize this. What many are not realizing maybe that our Government is handling this crisis pretty darn good. We definitely should learn from this crisis.
            
            We have weathered many virulent flus that have killed thousands yearly. We did not address them as we are addressing Covid19. We have come through them and found vaccines as we will with Covid19.  It is evident that we have not experienced a flu  so virulent since 1917, and needed to take extreme actions to curb the spread. But some such as truckers have fallen through the cracks. However, I am realistic, the virus will be around until we get a vaccine as we have with all other flu viruses.
            
            Maybe time to just realize it's no one's fault, and our Government can only do so much in a given time period.
            
            I would like to add one more thing. I live in Michigan, I am a retired RN, and have several friends that are nurses working in major hospitals here in the Metro Detroit area. I have kept in touch with my coworkers. I have been told no one has been turned away, no one that needed a vent has not been put on a vent. I have been told they were "short" on some protective supplies and test kits in the very beginning. They are getting equipment as needed now. The hospitals are being kept open at capacity.
            Medical staff is being pushed to take longer shifts, and it is very clear more medical staff is needed during this crisis.  I fully agree all medical workers need to be rewarded for their hard work. As do the truck drivers and anyone that has kept us up and running during this horrible time.

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               wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               Oh, don't get me wrong!  I'm not trying to assign blame at all - overall I think we're doing as well as possible, given the circumstances.
               
               But we ARE forgetting some of our people and need to step up to the plate for them as well.  That sole proprietor - One very dear to me started a business last year.  She has worked very hard, pouring everything she had into it, and it was just now producing an income she could take from the business.  And now it's dead in the water, open for business but with no customers.
               
               No past income from it, so no unemployment.  No employees so no stimulus.  Can take a loan, but is unlikely to be able to pay it back for at least a year or two and she must guarantee it personally rather than the business doing so.  And that's how startups work - that she was earning an income after only a year was surprising, and many don't.  No employees for years after start up.  We're letting not only the business but the life of the owner die on the vine, just forgotten in the masses of others needing help.  Not blaming anyone for there are many more obvious cases that need help.  But as we find those that were missed we need to provide for them as well.
               
               And I'll add that that "forgotten" category of those keeping us going is much larger than we think.  Yes, health care personnel and truck drivers.  And those at the water and sewer treatment plants.  And those at power stations and natural gas works.  And police and fire.  Banks, moving money to where it needs to be.  Obviously the grocery store and pharmacies, but the animal feed stores as well.  Plumbers and electricians when we have trouble at home.  Car repair shops. 
               
               The list just goes on and on and on of people necessary for our lives but that we never think about until suddenly it's gone.

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                  Stevennix2001posted 5 years agoin reply to this

                  Sorry to hear about your friend.  Sadly I think once this coronavirus situation is over, a lot of businesses aren't going to come back from it sadly.   Same for a lot of countries as well as I have a feeling quite a few that had struggling economies already will end up becoming third world countries when this is over.

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                     wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                     I think you're right on both counts, although the lower the economy is the better it should survive.  A small business, for example, operating out of the front door of their home selling food and without loans or expenses but for the product being sold simply closes the doors for a while.

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                  Sharlee01posted 5 years agoin reply to this

                  I think you made good points. I did not mean to make you feel I  was accusing you of the blame game. I feel many citizens are, and I find it unfair. I have followed your comments, and realize you are not of a blaming nature. I can feel your concern and I am with you.

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                     Randy Godwinposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                     Shar, here in Georgia the truck stops are still operating. Is this simply a Michigan thing?

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                        wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                        I haven't heard of any truck stops shuttering the doors.  But rest areas are and truck stops are going to have problems with their restaurants, not to mention bathrooms and showers.  What do they do - send in a sterilization team after every use of either one?

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      Stevennix2001posted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Wow....I didn't realize things were getting to this point.    Honestly as much as my family keeps telling me to stay positive about this coronavirus situation, the more I become to realize that things are only going to get worse before they get better.   I honestly don't know who to feel more sorry for.  The people working at the hospital, or the poor patients who won't get the help they need if that hospital shuts down.  This is truly sad and I just hope this doesn't become a trend in the USA.

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         wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Yes, it's going to get worse before it gets better.  I don't envy those running the show, trying to balance between saving lives and keeping the country operating, at least enough to where it can still recover.

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   Live to Learnposted 5 years ago

   I hear New York is begging for medical professionals to help them out. There's a great option.

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      wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      It is...until the virus hits this area.  It will - we have a handful of deaths and around a thousand cases, both of which WILL climb.
      
      But my point was that we're seeing things happen that no one thought of, and it will continue as time goes on.

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         Live to Learnposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         I get your point. It's too bad but the upper echelons should be better prepared to weather a paycut. Hopefully things will start abating soon.

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   Nathanvilleposted 5 years ago

   An interesting turn of events.  Not a problem we have in the UK as the NHS is Government owned, so money is no object e.g. the NHS just built a 4,000 bed hospital in London (the largest such hospital in the world) in just 9 days; and is in the process of building a further two similar hospitals across the country in preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic.
   
   Coronavirus: Prince Charles opens NHS Nightingale hospital today: https://youtu.be/mZz0OlEx-1Q

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      Live to Learnposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      Well done.

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      wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

      You mean they converted an existing building to a hospital (it takes longer than 9 days to prepare the ground and dig footers for a foundation)?  I hear several US cities are looking into that as well, plus building "tent hospitals" in fields such as sports arenas.

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         Nathanvilleposted 5 years agoin reply to this

         Yep, conversion is a better word; albeit it was still a mammoth task e.g. gutting the building, laying foundations for rows of large 'liquid oxygen tanks' outside, all the secondary fit (electric, gas pipes etc.), and installing all the medical kit and supplies.
         
         Video from last week, during the construction work/conversion:  https://youtu.be/QWOsdGSed3w
         
         I hope USA cities do similar, as they are most likely will be needed to save lives.

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            wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

            I doubt there was much "gutting" to do either - it seemed to be mostly an empty building, designed to be set up for various events quite easily.
            
            Still, an impressive achievement to do it all that quickly.  Someone was really on their toes with logistics and planning!  Too many people on a job site and it becomes very easy to spend all your time avoiding collisions.  It isn't easy to work together in normal circumstances; to do so with the large number of workers can be difficult indeed.
            
            What I've heard, so far, are thoughts of using hotels as hospitals.  No use for them now with everyone stay-at-home, lots of rooms already with power, water, etc.  Basically, pipe in oxygen and stick beds in each room.  And could probably do with O2 tanks in each room in a pinch.

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               Nathanvilleposted 5 years agoin reply to this

               Yep, the main hall was as you describe; with smaller rooms partitioned off for different venues, some laid out like cinemas for ‘Presentations’; nevertheless, being a large warehouse, partitions (and seating) would have been easy to remove during the conversion.
               
               The whole warehouse is an impressive 1km (3,282 feet) long.
               
               In the UK since the 1990’s Prince2 has been the Industrial Standard for Project Management; I had to learn it, and take the exams, for my last job in the civil service.  So the achievement to covert the warehouse to a hospital so efficiently, in such a short time, ensuring the right teams were on site at the right time, and not getting in each other ways is Project Management at its best. 
               
               In the last phase of the conversion the Army (who have their own organised discipline) was utilised (supply chain) to bring in all the hospital equipment and medical supplies.
               
               Yes, hotels do offer a potential readymade valuable resource during this emergency.  In the UK some of them are now being used to house the homeless.  When the Government first imposed Social-Distancing in Britain it also closed night shelters for the homeless and street encampments, and tasked Local Governments to rehouse the homeless into hotels (45,000 ‘self-contained accommodation spaces’) to enforce Social-Distancing and reduce the risk of the virus spreading among the homeless community.  It was the last night that my son was working in the city centre (Professional Photographer) before the lock-down, when on his way home he saw the Authorities in Bristol rounding up the homeless (not that there’s many in Bristol) to take them to one of the local hotels. 
               
               Under British Law (in normal times) it has always been (since the 2nd world war) a legal requirement for Local Governments to find permanent Social Housing for the homeless, which they do on a priority basis as best as they can, albeit always being hampered by the regular spending cuts imposed on them by the National Government.  According to the charities for the homeless, there were 40,000 homeless people in Britain in night shelters, and a further 5,000 sleeping rough on the streets in Britain before the UK wide lock-down.

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                  wildernessposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                  Just heard tonight that New York City has just opened a converted conference center as a hospital.  I imagine something like London did.
                  
                  I haven't heard much about the homeless, except that it a problem of quite some concern and no one has a real handle on what to do with them.  We also have beggars; people on the street begging passing people for money or food.  With the downtowns deserted, what are they doing?  Many food banks have closed, and those that are left have problems with crowds even though the food from closed facilities were given to those that are open.  You may or may not have the problem with truck drivers that we do, but many, if not most, of them live on the road and we are depending on them for everything from food to face masks.  When bathrooms, roadside rest areas, restaurants, etc. closed, what about those drivers?  How do they even get a shower - swing by a river somewhere?
                  
                  Lots of problems no one seems to have thought of.  Certainly I didn't.

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                     Nathanvilleposted 5 years agoin reply to this

                     Good to hear wilderness, the converted hospitals in NYC should help to save lives.
                     
                     We don’t have long haul lorry drivers in Europe like you do in the USA.  In Europe the vast majority of lorry drivers are employed by the Companies they work for; some are Haulage Companies, but many (especially for short distances and local deliveries) are employed directly by the various manufacturers and retailers.
                     
                     The lorry drivers (over 50,000 in the UK) are part of the supply chains, most important for the supermarkets. 
                     
                     As you mention, the issue of facilities being closed (including toilets) is also an issue to lorry drivers in the UK, as outlined in the link below.  In the UK the Road Haulage Association (RHA) is working with the Government to try to resolve this issue; hopefully they’ll find a way forward.
                     
                     ‘Unite’, the UK’s largest Trade Union (with over 50,000 lorry drivers) are also in discussion with the Government to try to find ways of easing the problems, without compromising on drivers’ safety.
                     
                     https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-c … e-52103571

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