Update on State of California’s health care worker COVID-19 retention payment program

This message (initially published on Nov. 9, 2022) was updated with additional details on Nov. 22, 2022.

UC health care workers have gone above and beyond in your response to the needs of patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of your commitment and critical importance to the ongoing health of our communities, the University is participating in California’s Hospital and Skilled Nursing Facility COVID-19 Worker Retention Payment Program.   

This program will provide state-funded payments to all eligible UC health care workers. To be eligible for this program, the state requires that an employee be employed by a UC hospital or covered health care clinic (defined here), be employed  in a non-supervisory role, and have worked onsite between July 30, 2022, and October 28, 2022.  The state considers at least 100 hours onsite during this time as qualifying for a part-time payment, and 400 hours for a full-time payment. Additionally, eligible employees must still be employed by the UC location as of the program record date of November 28, 2022. 

The payments include three components: the state will fund a base amount of up to $1,000 for full-time onsite employees and $750 for part-time employees; the state will fund an additional matching amount of up to $500 for both full-time and part-time employees; and the University will fund $500 for match-eligible employees. Eligible physicians will receive the state payment of up to $1,000, regardless of part-time or full-time status, and are not included in the state’s matching program. For the purpose of this program, the state considers residents as employees eligible for participation in the match. 

Thus, a non-physician, state-eligible full-time onsite employee will receive up to $2,000 ($1,500 from the state and $500 from the University), and a part-time onsite employee will receive up to $1,750 ($1,250 from the state and $500 from the University).  The state has appropriated a fixed amount of funding for this program, therefore the final amounts paid by the state will depend on the volume of application requests received from participating health providers across the state and is not guaranteed. 

Regardless of the level of funding provided by the state, the University is committed to providing its full payment of $500 to all state-eligible employees.  The payments from the University will be made before the end of the calendar year per the program requirements.

The University will distribute the state-funded payments following the receipt of funds, which are expected to be issued in early 2023.

We continue to closely follow the state’s updates on eligibility, timing and funding available per eligible person. A Frequently Asked Questions document about the program can be found on the Department of Health Care Services’ website. Local UC HR departments will provide more information as it is known.