Intermountain Healthcare became the latest healthcare system to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour starting next month as the Utah-based system rolled out several other pay boosts.
Intermountain announced Wednesday that it will raise the wage starting Sept. 19 for both clinical and nonclinical positions. The hike follows other health systems such as Cleveland Clinic, Advocate Aurora Health and Johns Hopkins that are raising the minimum wage.
This is the latest wage hike for hourly pay since wages moved to $13 an hour back in 2019. Even though labor expenses have risen across the industry due to the pandemic, Intermountain said that wasn’t a factor in the decision.
“While COVID-19 has had an impact on the labor market, this adjustment is not a direct result of the pandemic,” said Heather Brace, Intermountain’s chief people officer and senior vice president, in a statement. “It is to align compensation to the current market and ensure employees are paid fairly.”
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The 25-hospital system explores market conditions that warrant hiking wages in relation to any changes.
Hospitals have faced higher staff expenses since the start of the pandemic, but this is largely due to spikes in cost and demand for travel nurses to shore up staffing to fight the virus.
Intermountain also announced it will boost pay for 12,800 employees across more than 250 positions, with most increasing between 3% to 7%.
“All employees received a pay increase earlier this year in April, and eligible nurses received an additional adjustment increase in June,” the system said in a release.
The minimum wage boost will affect about 2,200 employees.
Intermountain’s decision follows other health systems that aim to raise wages, efforts that have not dampened despite the pandemic.