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Since Atrium cancelled elective procedures, nurses there have had their hours cut. To get a full paycheck, they've been told to either work in a different unit, sometimes directly with COVID-19 patients w/o sufficient PPE and no hazard pay, or take PTO. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article242052756.html
Meanwhile, Atrium has more than $4 billion in unrestricted reserves. Critics say that now is the time to tap those reserves, rather than pass the cost on to employees, especially as federal relief packages will direct money to hospital systems
When patient volume is down, nurses are put on call for that day's 12-hour shift. That means instead of their usual ~$30/hr, they can be paid as little as $2/hr that day. While the hospital says they can find work in another unit, some are hesitant to do so w/o proper training
That leaves nurses and other staff, who Atrium CEO Gene Woods has praised for answering the call, with few options. They can forgo work and their paycheck for the week, use up their PTO, or work in an unfamiliar environment and maybe risk exposure to COVID depending on the unit
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