The recent wildfires have horrifically impacted thousands of people, including some of our ESC Local 20 sisters and brothers. Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by this tragedy.

If you know of any ESC Local 20 members who are in need of fire-loss assistance or if you are yourself, especially those who have lost their homes, please fill out this form.

If you are interested in helping members impacted by the wildfires, please donate to the ESC Local 20 Wildfire Relief Fund account by November 13. 100% of the proceeds will go to members impacted by the wildfires. 

Many employers have offered assistance to those who have been impacted; those impact assistance programs are compiled below. If your employer is not listed, please contact your union representative to get more information on your employer or other possible resources. 

We would like to take this moment to thank the ESC Local 20 members who have worked tirelessly to restore power and provide medical support during this time. We also thank the other union members who have acted as first responders and all the community members who are playing critical roles in the ongoing efforts to address this emergency.


Employer-Provided Wildfire Assistance and Resources

PG&E 

Time Off: If you are unable to report to work, please contact your immediate supervisor. In instances where you have been ordered to evacuate your home and are unable to work, time-off options are available.

    • Contact your supervisor and be sure they are aware of your circumstances.
    • Employees who have been ordered to evacuate their primary residences are eligible for up to five (5) days of time off with permission with pay—you must notify your supervisor when you will be taking these days.
    • Employees whose primary residences have been destroyed are eligible for up to an additional five (5) days of time off with permission with pay at the discretion of their Director-level leader. These days must be approved by your Director in advance.
    • If you or your immediate family member is injured, you may also be eligible for a leave of absence.
    • For questions relating to a leave of absence, contact Sedgewick at 855-732-8217, the HR Help Line at (415-973-HELP, option 4), or the PG&E Leave Management team (PGELeaveTeam@nullexchange.pge.com) for guidance.

NOTE: In all cases, you MUST contact your immediate supervisor or leadership to report your status and your need/intent to use available time off.

Company-Provided Lodging: Employees who have been ordered to evacuate their primary residence or whose residences have been destroyed are eligible for up to seven (7) days of lodging assistance from PG&E.

    • Impacted employees in need of lodging must contact the HR Help Line and receive approval.
    • Employees should contact the HR Help Line for any questions related to this guidance.

 Contact the HR Help Line, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.:

         1-415-973-HELP (4357) Option 4 or 1-800-788-2363 Option 4

Kaiser 

If you have lost your primary residence or have been evacuated, please contact the following numbers for emergency support and assistance:

    • Employees may contact the Regional Human Resources Command Center at (855) 599-9922. This command center is available daily 10 a.m.–8 p.m. starting Tuesday, September 29.
    • Physicians may contact the TPMG Physician Benefits Team at (510) 625-6600.

Additional details and information can be found here.

Dignity Health

Financial assistance and PTO benefits to impacted employees is outlined below: 

Temporary evacuation less than five days, no loss PTO: assistance up to 80 hours, plus $800 for incidental expenses

Evacuation five days or greater, no loss PTO: assistance up to 80 hours, plus $1,500 for incidental expenses

Evacuation five days or greater, minor Loss PTO: assistance up to 80 hours, plus $2,000 for incidental expenses

Evacuation five days or greater, total loss PTO: assistance up to 120 hours, plus $3,000 for incidental expenses and may petition for unique disaster relief funding

Note: Per Diem Employees and Volunteers eligible for incidental expense donation of $800 if evacuated for a period of five days or greater.

Employee Assistance services and other resources are also available for these employees.  We will encourage employees who want to help to donate PTO hours to the CommonSpirit Health Disaster Relief Fund to assist with local recovery efforts.

Sutter

Support for Teammates Impacted by Wildfires and Mandatory Evacuations

If you or team members have had to evacuate or have lost their home due to the Northern California wildfires, Sutter Health can provide help: through Emergency Financial Assistance, Disaster Recovery Pay, and the Sutter Health Philanthropic Disaster Relief Fund.

Emergency Financial Assistance

    • Sutter team members who are displaced or who have otherwise experienced a devastating loss from the wildfires are eligible for funds to help cover expenses related to emergency housing, transportation, food and/or clothing. 
    • To apply for financial assistance, please click here or call the Sutter Health Assistance Line at 844-987-6105, 24 hours, seven days a week.
    • For information on requesting a hardship PTO cash-out, please call the Sutter Health Employee Line at 844-987-6105.

Disaster Recovery Pay

We are making Disaster Recovery Pay available to employees impacted by the wildfires. This includes up to 40 hours of pay (based on FTE status) for employees who are unable to work due to a mandatory evacuation, and an additional 40 hours of pay (based on FTE status) for employees who experience greater impacts, like home loss or significant property damage. Please speak with your manager or HR Business Partner to see if you qualify for this benefit.

Sutter Health Philanthropic Disaster Relief Fund

In times of crisis, we are able to activate our Sutter Health Philanthropic Disaster Relief Fund, which provides financial support to help teammates recover from the impact of natural disasters and is funded in part through the generosity of our colleagues. More information and how to apply will be available soon. To support teammates who have lost their homes or have been displaced by mandatory evacuations, you may donate to this fund here.

SHEMS Lodging Initiative

As a way to support our onsite front-line workforce members impacted by evacuations, Sutter Health is temporarily offering free lodging through Airbnb, select hotel chains and Outdoorsy for eligible employees and clinicians who work at patient care sites. You must complete the SHEMS Lodging Request Form before reserving lodging.