"It's a slap in the face," one front line worker said.
This week, London Health Sciences Centre front line staff found out that managers were receiving raises up to 40 times larger than they got.
Front line staff, however, received a $2.50 coupon.
An e-mail sent out to staff in the wake of LHSC receiving Accreditation Canada Exemplary Standing didn't mention management salaries, but employees who spoke to London News Today on the condition of anonymity were quick to link the two.
"We get $2.50, she (President and CEO Jackie Schliefer Taylor) gets $250,000. Seems fair," another front line employee wrote in an e-mail.
Schliefer Taylor received a raise of $219,168 in taxes and benefits in 2022 according to Sunshine List data.
Executive Vice President Carol Young-Ritchie's compensation went up by $74,274.
Raises among the managers receiving the 15 highest pay hikes by percentage came to over an additional $980,000 in spending, year over year.
"The timing is insulting," another front line employee said. Staffers who contacted London News Today were granted anonymity because they aren't authorized to speak to the media about hospital matters.
Staff members started receiving their coupons, which were accompanied by an email, on Friday.
"Your contribution and role in LHSC's Accreditation Canada Exemplary Standing announced yesterday is greatly appreciated. As a small token of appreciation from the Accreditation Team, all staff members, physicians and volunteers will receive a voucher for a beverage or treat at any Morrison's location at LHSC ($2.50 value). Leaders will be handing out the vouchers by April 7. Thank you for being part of #TeamLHSC and for your role in Accreditation. You Are Exemplary!!," the email said.
According to what's written on the coupon, it has a maximum value of $2.50 at any LHSC Cafe location, has no cash value and expires in September.
A thank you gift card for a $2.50 snack or drink send to London Health Sciences Centre employees.
In a statement sent to London News Today on Tuesday, LHSC Board Chair Phyllis Retty said Schleifer Taylor's salary increase "reflects the transition to permanent CEO and the adoption of an executive compensation framework that was developed using external benchmarking to other complex hospital systems in Ontario. It includes base pay, performance pay and some accrued vacation pay that she was unable to take as time off due to ongoing pandemic and system recovery work."
Retty also noted that the board "approved the CEO compensation taking into account the complexity of the hospital, the current competitive recruitment environment for healthcare executives and a comparison of CEO compensation of similar complex hospital systems in Ontario. Our most important job as a Board is to ensure we can attract and retain the caliber of talent our staff, physicians and community need to grow and transform our system."