Fedweek

va covid coronavirus incentive pay Aurora, CO - April 2020: VA Regional Hospital in Aurora preparations for veterans who have the coronavirus, with drive up tents in front of the hospital. Image: Jim Lambert/Shutterstock.com

The VA has started offering employees incentives of $5,000 to volunteer for two-week assignments to care for patients in Coronavirus high-risk areas.

“Internally, VA is currently seeking personnel with intensive care unit and medical or surgical ward experience, as well as biomedical technicians with expertise using ventilators and other personnel to support the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System’s response to COVID-19,” the VA said.

It meanwhile has reassigned some personnel there from other facilities by activating a contingency plan called the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System.

It also has shifted most outpatient care to telehealth operations; postponed most elective and non-emergency procedures; and increased from $90,000 to $144,000 the family income cutoff for eligibility for child care subsidies.

Meanwhile, agencies have begun posting on usajobs.gov temporary rotational assignments available to current employees for work related to the virus.

Some are for front-line medical and other positions but others are for a variety of other roles, such as grants management and communication. As announced earlier, such assignments can be for up to one year but require the approval of the employee’s current agency management.

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2022 Federal Employees Handbook