Penn State Health updates pay, Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits and attendance practices

Penn State Health Human Resources implemented many special practices to support employees during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Please review the following important updates on SPECIAL Pay, Paid Time Off Benefits and Attendance. For more details or support, contact the HR Solution Center at 717-531-8440 or utilize the search option through mySolutions.

Secure Pay

As Penn State Health advances toward more typical operations, the need for SECURE Pay has significantly diminished; therefore, the SECURE Pay program will be discontinued with the pay period ending July 4. Since SECURE Pay was implemented on March 29, Penn State Health has paid nearly $3 million in wages to employees who were not working due to lack of available work. After July 4, if there is lack of work for some employees, the previous low census processes and the designated LOW CENSUS pay codes will resume.

Well Pay and Care Pay

At this time, Penn State Health will continue the WELL Pay and CARE Pay programs as currently designed (see the current version of Special Pay Practices). These practices and potential end dates will be reviewed monthly and updated as necessary. The attachment will be updated to reflect this change and posted on mySolutions soon.

Paid Time Off (PTO) Cap

During the pandemic response, the PTO cap was temporarily removed. Effective with the pay period starting July 5, the PTO cap will be reinstated. If an employee has earned PTO in excess of the 480 hours, this additional time will be available for use. Employees who accrued PTO in excess of 480 hours will only begin accruing time again when their PTO balance falls below 480 hours.

Attendance Policy

During the pandemic response, exceptions were made to attendance policies across Penn State Health for illnesses and child care/elder care needs. As of July 5, all provisions of attendance policies will resume.

Employees are expected to follow symptom screening processes and not report to work when ill. Individuals who experience symptoms related to COVID-19 are expected to immediately contact their manager and Employee Health. Employees who are instructed by Employee Health to remain off work will be eligible for WELL Pay per program guidelines and will not be subject to the attendance policy. All provisions for WELL Pay, Penn State Health policies and Employee Health protocols must be followed to remain eligible for WELL Pay and unscheduled absence exceptions.

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