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ABOUT THE OPTUM EAP PROGRAM
THANK YOU!
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THE BELOW INFORMATION IS OUTDATED
WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY CONFUSION
Emergency Assistance Support for Employees
Now Working Over-Time to Help Employees in Need
We are proud that, unlike many hospitals around the country, UMass Memorial has not had layoffs, so that at least one paycheck is still coming in for most SHARE families. However, with layoffs in many industries, and everything about our normal lives being turned upside down by the pandemic, many SHARE members now face financial hardship.
Don’t forget about the EASE fund, especially because there’s more money to give out than usual. Recently, Dr. Dickson and his wife, Dr. Cathy Jones, as well as Doug Brown, and several other senior leaders of UMass Memorial have donated some or all of their paychecks to the EASE fund, to help UMass Memorial employees in need.
One SHARE member who recently got an award from the fund says, “It put my mind at ease, knowing the program was there when I needed it. They made the process so easy!”
“In a regular month, we grant ten to twelve awards. Since the coronavirus hit, we granted forty awards in April alone. There’s a lot of need out there, and we are happy to have the additional money to give away,” said a member of the EASE committee.
EASE awards are up to $1500, and if your need is related to COVID, you don’t have to have taxes taken out. Just fill out an application (see link below). Decisions are usually made within two weeks, and awardees get their checks the following week.
If you would like help filling out the form, please contact your SHARE organizer, or call the SHARE office (508-929-4020). You can also check out blog posts tagged #Gettinghelp for additional resources in times of hardship.
EASE Fund Eligibility Requirements
You must be employed by a UMass Memorial Health Care entity for at least 30 days and if a per diem you must have worked and been paid for at least 32 hours within the last four paychecks from your application date:
You must not be on final warning;
You must provide supporting documentation of need with each application (e.g., amount of rent/mortgage owed, utility bill, letter of notice of eviction or car repair estimate) if applicable and must have considered other options which are not readily available or are insufficient;
Applications for same /similar issues previously denied funding in the same 12-month period will be not accepted (due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, only applications submitted on or after 3/1/2020 and denied will be counted at this time);
Your total grant awards within a 12-month period cannot exceed $1,500; (Due to the Current Pandemic, grants received prior to 3/1/2020 will not be counted)
You must provide documentation (as applicable) as proof of having used the funds for what was requested in your original award in order to remain eligible for EASE funding in subsequent years; and
You do not owe any outstanding obligations to your employer.