in response to charges that workers can't make ends meet, upmc opens employee food pantry (Pittsburgh: loans, buying)

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by dissident

This is true. UPMC's PTO program is quite generous...but good luck using your PTO. Also, while the health benefits are pretty good and very affordable for a single person at the bottom of the wage scale, they become much more burdensome as a percentage of income when you add a dependent. Also, they cost the same whether you are a doctor or a floor sweeper. I wouldn't be surprised if a large percentage of single-wage earners at the bottom of the scale also receive medicaid for their children. The relatively low per-pay cost of UPMC health insurance becomes a undesirably heavy outlay when you add children.

You bring up two good points.

Many area corporations have a sliding scale premium payments for health insurance based on salary. Why can't UPMC do this too?

I do know someone who worked at UPMC as a unit coordinator whose children qualified for medicaid as a secondary insurance to the UPMC employer insurance she purchased. She made about $13/$14 an hour. She couldn't opt to only have medicaid because her custody agreement required her to purchase health insurance if it was available by an employer.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Clint.

Note "(or whatever it is that she does)". If you're going to insist on trying to criticize each of my posts at least try to stay in context rather than make up your own example and then proceed to criticize that.

I wasn't criticizing your post. I was agreeing with you! And provided an example that supported what you said!

[sealie]

Originally Posted by groar

i'm kind of curious about what you do at pnc that pays so little. i feel like what you're implying you make is teller wages, and that's just as much of an entry level job as being a unit secretary.

CSR, last I heard. CSR manager, rather.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by Hopes

You bring up two good points.

Many area corporations have a sliding scale premium payments for health insurance based on salary. Why can't UPMC do this too?

I do know someone who worked at UPMC as a unit coordinator whose children qualified for medicaid as a secondary insurance to the UPMC employer insurance she purchased. She made about $13/$14 an hour. She couldn't opt to only have medicaid because her custody agreement required her to purchase health insurance if it was available by an employer.

My company definitely does the "sliding scale" thing. I worked at a company once that did this for everything, health insurance, parking, you name it...if you made more, you paid more. I think this really fair.

I should probably know this, given my occupation, but I'm wondering if the health care law will restrict or outlaw this in 2014. I know the only allowable rating factors are age, smoking status, and geography, but I really don't know what it says about employer contributions to said premiums, other than there are provisions that the employee contribution can't be greater than X% of salary which is on a sliding scale or the employer will have to provide a voucher equal to the cost of obtaining individual insurance in the exchange.

[Clint.]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

My company definitely does the "sliding scale" thing. I worked at a company once that did this for everything, health insurance, parking, you name it...if you made more, you paid more. I think this really fair.

Sometimes countries do this regarding fines. I believe Germany (as one example) will fine motorists a percentage of their income for traffic violations rather than a flat fee. I guess they figure that $250 fine for a traffic violation (or whatever violation) doesn't hit everyone the same way and it is more just to charge 1% (of the perpetrator's income) or whatever the fee is. What a foreign concept. Here is in the U.S. buying justice with superior financial resources is an enshrined right. Because we're all equal, you know.

Also, there must be a lot of SEIU organizers on this forum. From today's UPMC newsletter:



It should be noted that all UPMC staff members who receive money from the hardship fund, which is funded by their colleagues and UPMC, that they can tap into in an emergency, must be repaid because it is just a loan. Funny how UPMC tries to portray things like 'providing' jobs and making loans to its employees as exceptional corporate citizenship that deserves tax exemption.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Clint.

Sometimes countries do this regarding fines. I believe Germany (as one example) will fine motorists a percentage of their income for traffic violations rather than a flat fee. I guess they figure that $250 fine for a traffic violation (or whatever violation) doesn't hit everyone the same way and it is more just to charge 1% (of the perpetrator's income) or whatever the fee is. What a foreign concept. Here is in the U.S. buying justice with superior financial resources is an enshrined right. Because we're all equal, you know.

Also, there must be a lot of SEIU organizers on this forum. From today's UPMC newsletter:



It should be noted that all UPMC staff members who receive money from the hardship fund, which is funded by their colleagues and UPMC, that they can tap into in an emergency, must be repaid because it is just a loan. Funny how UPMC tries to portray things like 'providing' jobs and making loans to its employees as exceptional corporate citizenship that deserves tax exemption.

If the hardship fund is just a loan, how is it funded by colleagues? Do the colleagues get repaid? I doubt that's the case. I wonder if the fund has more than just money, like maybe people can donate PTO to each other or something.

[groar]

The hardship fund is funded by a mandatory percentage taken out when employees cash in PTO outside of the annual open enrollment period. I didn't know it was just a loan, too! What the hell!!! Employees never get it back, i assume if it is a loan it just goes back into the fund.

I think employees can donate PTO too, but I forget how that works. That's fairly new, and I don't think it's attached to the hardship fund (which is also pretty new)

[sparrowmint]

Sounds like theft from the employees to me. I'd love to see the books on that one.

[Clint.]

Hardship program

Employee Hardship Fund Grant Application

There is actually a grant component to it as well, which does not have to be paid back. I guess one can't complain too much about free money, even if it is onerous a last resort. It is up to $1,000 grant if you prove you deserve it and can't be approved for a commercial loan, etc. The hardship advance definitely needs to be repaid (within 4 pay periods). The above links are to scribd where you can (or should be able to, anyway) read the actual documents.

[groar]

oh ok, the loan thing is a payroll advance, it doesn't come out of the money taken from other employees.

but the mandatory "donations" to the hardship fund - definitely real.