A massive hospital company in New York is giving staff a bonus and some extra holiday time by way of thanks for their tireless efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.
Northwell Health, which is the largest hospital company in New York, operating 23 hospitals in total, has agreed to give workers a $2,500 (£2,000) bonus and an extra week of paid leave, a statement revealed yesterday.
Those extra benefits are available to all healthcare workers that have dealt first-hand with patients such as doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists.
However, it's not just the healthcare-trained staff that will reap the rewards. The company also wants to thank the 'unsung heroes' of the hospital, who will also receive the same benefits.
That's the people in housekeeping and the environmental cleaning services staff responsible for sanitising all of the hospitals, as well as corporate staff and those helping patients outside of the hospitals.
Because Northwell is the largest private employer in New York, that means around 45,000 workers will be eligible for an extra week off and a lovely boost to their wages.
Like many places, New York has been crippled by the Covid-19 outbreak. Northwell operates hospitals on Long Island, as well as in Manhattan and Queens.
As of yesterday, Northwell has discharged 6,100 patients who had been sent to hospital after contracting the virus. However, more than 2,600 patients are still in hospital as a result of coronavirus.
Their decision to reward those working for them is in stark comparison to some of the other health systems that have cut wages or cut staff because of the pandemic, according to Business Insider.
In a statement, the President and CEO of Northwell, Michael Dowling said: "Our dedicated staff's response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been nothing short of heroic.
"Thanks to the courage and commitment of our front line caregivers, we answered the call in service to the patients and communities who entrust us with their care."
The USA is now the epicentre of the virus outbreak, with more than 800,000 total cases resulting in more than 42,000 deaths.
In New York alone, there has been 247,512 cases of Covid-19, and 14,347 people have sadly lost their lives.
Dowling added that the company wants to 'support, motivate and inspire our team members'.
He continued: "We celebrate their wins, recognise their heroic work and amplify the outpouring of community support they are receiving for their courageous actions."
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