Saint Agnes Medical Center furloughs 175 workers, due to slowdown caused by coronavirus
About 175 workers at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno are facing furloughs of up to eight weeks, and possibly longer, because of a slowdown in business from the coronavirus pandemic.
Kelley Sanchez, a hospital spokeswoman, said the furloughs take effect on Sunday, and affect departments in different parts of the medical center. “It’s really across all positions and based on business needs,” she said. “If we see a slowdown in a certain area, it will affect a person in that area.”
“It really varies across the board,” Sanchez added. “It may be someone who works in the cafeteria or our food services because we have low volume. Or in an area where we’re not doing elective surgeries right now.”
The furloughs are currently expected to last for eight weeks, which is four pay periods for the hospital. “We’ve given everybody a date by which we hope to welcome them back,” Sanchez said. “If things change, we can bring people back sooner” depending on the hospital’s needs.
Saint Agnes typically employs about 2,800 workers; the furloughs affect about 6.5 percent of the employees.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 5:49 PM.
