The law that created the housing benefit for off-island hires of the public hospital has long expired and its sunset provision must now be enforced, according to Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. CEO Esther L. Mu\u00f1a.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a targets the removal of this benefit by the end of the fiscal year in September.<\/p>\n
Even before the corporation\u2019s inception, the Commonwealth Health Center has long been providing housing allowances to medical staff and providers it hires from outside the Commonwealth. The perk is $600 a month for single employees and $800 a month for those with families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe housing benefit has to go. We have a sunset provision that basically says that anybody working more than five years [in the hospital] should not be getting this housing benefit and we will do that,\u201d Mu\u00f1a told Saipan Tribune.<\/p>\n
A sunset provision is a clause within a statute or regulation that provides that the law shall cease to have effect after a specific date, unless the Legislature extends it.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a said the then-Department of Public Health continued to provide this benefit despite the sunset provision of the law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat expired a long time ago but because there was no planning, the department continued implementing this benefit. With the challenges we\u2019re facing now, we decided to have this removed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a assured, however, that a new compensation schedule would be enforced in lieu of this housing perks for off-island hires.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking at probably by end of the fiscal year. Myself and the hospital services director [Jesse Tudela] are now working on adjusting the salary of our employees, not only for off-island recruits but also for those locally hired, where a portion of the housing allowance will be incorporated in their contract,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a, however, could not immediately give an estimate of how much employees\u2019 salaries will go up. The final amount will depend on credentials, years of service, and employee performance.<\/p>\n
The goal, she said, is to bring \u201cfairness and equity\u201d among off-island and local hires. <\/p>\n
Based on CHCC records, it has over 100 employees that receive this benefit, mostly nurses recruited from the Philippines way back in the days of the Department of Public Health.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe housing allowance is basically a benefit that has to go because it\u2019s not given to everybody. What we\u2019re saying now is, based on the sunset provision, we have to stop it,\u201d she said. She assured that the management will sit down with affected employees on this issue.<\/p>\n
The corporation, which is only given a meager budget through local appropriation, continues to face fiscal challenges in its day-to-day operations. Mu\u00f1a explained that housing benefits, which is taxable, is a clear expenditure for the agency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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