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Per‑diem P103 nurses urge San Francisco DPH to extend 80 hours of COVID sick leave
Summary
Multiple per‑diem (P103) nurses and SEIU 1021 representatives told the Health Commission that per‑diem nurses performing frontline work remain excluded from the city's 80‑hour COVID emergency sick leave and urged DPH/HR to extend the benefit for equity and safety.
Several callers during the public comment period told the Health Commission on Jan. 17 that per‑diem P103 nurses who do frontline testing, outreach and inpatient care are being treated differently from benefited staff and should receive the city's emergency COVID sick‑leave allocation.
Teresa Rutherford, speaking for SEIU 1021, said P103 nurses "are literally working more as full time workers right now" and asked the commission to correct what she called an "equity issue" by giving P103 nurses access to the 80 hours of COVID emergency sick leave. "These are frontline workers who are as susceptible as any other nurse on the floor to COVID," she said.
Multiple other commenters echoed that request. A caller identifying herself as Lauren said she is a P103 nurse at San Francisco General Hospital who often picks up shifts and does not have access to the additional COVID leave, saying the exclusion has left her "feeling undervalued and uncared for as a public health worker." Kenley, a per‑diem P103 nurse who works in street medicine, said per‑diems undertake the same risks and duties as permanent nurses and lack health insurance and adequate sick leave protections.
Jennifer Estien, who identified herself as a registered nurse and vice president organizing with SEIU 1021, said P103s make up "about 50% of our total nursing workforce in the city of San Francisco" and urged equitable benefits because "COVID is not going anywhere" and the workforce is exhausted.
Commissioners acknowledged the public comments and invited staff to consider the equity and workforce implications raised during the testimony. No formal action or vote on the sick‑leave policy occurred at this meeting; the commenters asked the commission to reach out to the mayor's office and human resources to pursue inclusion of regularly scheduled per‑diem nurses in emergency sick‑leave allocations.
Next steps: Commissioners and DPH staff heard the testimony on record; the issue was raised again later in the meeting and may be returned to staff or the mayor's office for follow‑up.
