VCU Health employees petition for pay allegedly lost during winter storm
Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor
VCU Health employees published an online petition that asked for administrative pay to make up for paid time off hours they claim were used while outpatient services were closed last week due to a winter storm.
The petition states that during last week’s winter storm the health system deducted pay hours from employees’ accrued paid time off, which is generally meant for “vacation, personal days, sick time and holidays” according to Indeed.
The Change.org petition, anonymously created by “Employees of VCU Health,” states that requiring the use of PTO for a “weather-related, employer-mandated closure” was unfair to employees. It describes administrative pay, or full pay and benefits for a period determined by an employer, as a better fit for closures mandated by the employer and outside of employees’ control.
While employers are not required by federal law to offer pay for time not worked during inclement weather, many workers — including federal and City of Richmond employees — do receive such pay.
VCU Health spokesperson Danielle Pierce said VCU had not been contacted about a petition and would be “unable to speak without reviewing it.”
“VCU Health has a longstanding inclement weather policy that is in alignment with current industry standards,” Pierce stated. “There have been exceptions to this policy during extenuating circumstances, i.e. the water disruption in 2025.”
While inpatient services remained open throughout the winter storm, some VCU Health locations and outpatient services were closed on Jan. 26, per a release by the hospital.
VCU began holding classes in-person again on Jan. 29 while some roads and walkways were still covered in ice, according to a previous report by The CT. Some students and faculty criticized the move.
VCU alum and former VCU Health employee Sophia Arabia signed the petition and said the health system does not have a good track record with PTO.
“VCU [Health] has no issue making employees use their own PTO for things beyond their control, i.e. weather closures [or] illness,” Arabia stated. “I signed this petition because employees should not have to be forced to give up their earned PTO hours for something that was beyond their control.”
A current VCU Health employee, who requested to remain anonymous, corroborated that VCU abides by a policy of requiring the use of accrued PTO for weather events and holidays.
“For example, I get five weeks of PTO but two of those are already gone for holidays which only leaves three weeks for all vacation and sick time,” the employee said.
The petition currently has 76 signatures, and is awaiting a response from the health system.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to better distinguish paid time off from administrative pay, as well as VCU from VCU Health.