Saint Luke’s Shows Gratitude for Frontline Staff with Minimum Wage Increase to $15

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Saint Luke’s Health System today shares news of a permanent increase to its minimum hourly wage. This change, effective since November 8, 2020, ensures all hourly health system employees will receive a minimum hourly wage of at least $15. Saint Luke’s is one of only a few employers in the metro to offer a minimum wage at this level.

“Each Saint Luke’s employee plays a vital role in our mission of delivering excellence in health care. And that has never been clearer than during these long months of the COVID pandemic,” said Melinda L. Estes, MD, Saint Luke’s Health System President & CEO. “With the Thanksgiving holiday at-hand, we want to show them just how grateful we are for their hard work—now and all year long.”

This permanent increase in the Saint Luke’s pay scale affects all employees currently making less than $15 per hour. With this change, Saint Luke’s will far surpass the federal and Kansas minimum wages of $7.25 per hour and the Missouri minimum wage of $9.45. It will even exceed the 2018 Missouri referendum that guarantees to raise wages to $12 per hour by the year 2023. The nearly 2,000 Saint Luke’s employees impacted by this change will see the new hourly rate reflected on their last paycheck in November.

Importantly, the increase is intended to be a true and real increase. Employees’ regular work hours will not be reduced, current merit-eligible employees will still be eligible for a merit increase in 2021, and Saint Luke’s will continue to offer a competitive benefits package.

“These are the essential team members who consistently ensure a safe, sanitary, comfortable, and always welcoming environment for our patients, visitors, and staff. And their frontline contribution is vital to how our hospitals and entire health system are run,” said Estes. “I know I speak for the entire organization when I say they are deeply appreciated.”

About Saint Luke’s Health System

Saint Luke’s is a faith-based, not-for-profit, aligned health system committed to providing the highest levels of excellence in compassionate health care and health-related services. Saint Luke’s has more than 19 hospitals and campuses and more than 200 primary care and specialty offices treating patients in 65 specialty services across 67 counties in Missouri and Kansas. Saint Luke’s has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the elite hospitals in the nation. For more than 135 years, Saint Luke’s has been dedicated to enhancing the physical, mental, and spiritual health of the diverse communities we serve. Follow us: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn.