Saint Luke’s makes minimum wage raise permanent

A raise in the hourly minimum wage to $15 will remain, the health system has announced. The wage bolster took place in early November but was only recently determined it would be permanent. 

Saint Luke’s revealed that all of its hourly employees will receive a minimum hourly wage of at least $15, according to a Wednesday news release

The change first took effect Nov. 8 and was only recently announced that it will be permanent.

The raise provides a way to show “just how grateful we are” for front-line workers’ efforts amid the pandemic, Saint Luke’s CEO Dr. Melinda Estes said in the release. The move will affect almost 2,000 system employees.

The release also notes that the change means the hourly rate exceeds the minimum in Kansas and Missouri, and that the bump will not affect the number of regular work hours or eligibility for merit increases.