Mercy to increase minimum wage to $15 per hour

Kimberly Barker, The Joplin Globe, Mo.
3 min read
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Aug. 20—Thousands of Mercy employees, including approximately 440 in the Joplin area, who earn minimum wage will receive a pay bump to $15 an hour this fall as part of an $18 million annual investment by the not-for-profit Catholic health care organization.

The increase was announced by Mercy on Thursday. Approximately 6,000 employees will be affected across the region. The increase will appear on paychecks as soon as Oct. 8 and will be implemented throughout Mercy by Sept. 19.

"This decision is rooted in our values and promotes the common good for our co-workers and the communities where they serve," Lynn Britton, Mercy president and CEO, said in a statement.

Mercy is one of the latest employers to increase the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour, following in the footsteps of Target, Costco, Best Buy and Hobby Lobby.

Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Mercy, told the Globe on Thursday the organization has been discussing the increase for a number of years but believed now was the right time to implement it, especially during the pandemic.

"We really couldn't wait," she said. "We needed to honor the skills and abilities and, frankly, the importance of those jobs, in particular that are critical at the bedside. When we don't have fully staffed transporters, EBS (electronic billing specialists) and food service, that puts more burden on our caregivers to take time away from our patients and away from the bedside. It was an important part of the care team that we recognized that."

In 2018, Missouri voters approved a gradual plan to raise wages to go up by 85 cents an hour every year until the minimum wage rate hits $12 an hour in 2023. This year, the minimum wage in Missouri increased on Jan. 1 to $10.30 per hour and $5.15 per hour for tipped employees.

Mercy workers who will receive a minimum wage increase include housekeepers, environmental service, food service, transportation and pharmacy, medical and lab technicians, and electronic billing coordinators.

"I think with the pandemic, it highlighted even more what I think we knew — that it really put a dramatic light on the critical importance of these, in some cases entry-level or nonclinical positions, to the overall care that's provided to our patients," Bentzen-Mercer said.

Individuals at Mercy making between $15 to $18 per hour will also receive a wage increase as part of the $18 million investment, according to Bentzen-Mercer. This includes an additional 380 employees in the Joplin region who make more than $15 per hour, Mercy spokesman Jordan Larimore said.

"On average, co-workers will receive $1 more per hour and up to as much as $3 more per hour," Bentzen-Mercer said.

According to a news release, Mercy serves a geographical area that has a significant percentage of jobs under $15 an hour: Arkansas, 47.4%, the highest percentage in the U.S.; Oklahoma 43.8%; and Missouri, 41.6%.

"We decided to make the transition immediately, rather than in stages, because this critical decision can positively affect so many lives and families," Britton said in a statement. "It is our prayer and hope that this will ease the financial stress of many co-workers, regardless of where they work in our ministry, and let them know what they do matters greatly to the patients and families we serve every day."

One of the primary goals of the wage increase is to attract and retain a quality, talented workforce in the communities served by Mercy, officials said.

"We cannot afford to not have every single person on that care team placed, fully staffed and retained," Bentzen-Mercer said. "We couldn't be behind the market and competing with other industries when we have this huge responsibility to keep patients safe and healthy."

Mercy has 900 physician practices and outpatient facilities, more than 4,000 Mercy Clinic physicians and advanced practitioners and more than 40,000 employees serving patients and families across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

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