HSE expects staff to receive wages this week despite cyber attack
Posted on 26th May 2021 at 21:59
The HSE has said it expects that health service staff who are scheduled to be paid this week will receive their wages in their bank accounts on Thursday.
However, it said that due to the impact of the cyber attack on its computer systems that “some issues could arise this week such as variations between what some staff are due to be paid and what they receive”.
In a bulletin to staff on Wednesday evening the HSE said: “We expect basic pay and allowances to be paid as normal. Every effort has gone into capturing and processing all premiums, overtime and additional items. Any issues arising will be rectified in the coming weeks.”
The HSE said, however, it was not possible to make travel and subsistence claims.
“All staff should keep track of any travel and subsistence costs incurred so you can claim them when the system is back,” it said.
Speaking at the Fórsa trade union conference on Wednesday, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said HSE payroll teams had worked through the weekend and night “to ensure that those due to be paid last week and this week will actually get paid”.
Third-party deductions
The trade union Siptu said earlier this week it had been informed by HSE management that the health authority may have problems for the present in passing on deductions from staff salaries to third parties such as credit unions.
Siptu also said trade unions were “advised that the HSE is in direct contact with Revenue as they are not able to upload payments deducted for the purpose of income tax until the IT system reopens”.
The union said it understood that “challenges” relating to payroll may continue for the next number of weeks given the need to input data manually into the central pay system.
Siptu said in its bulletin to members that union representatives had been informed that deductions were being processed from pay. However, it said “the payment of these deductions to third parties, such as insurance providers or credit unions, is not possible due to the shutting down of the IT system. We understand that third parties are being informed deductions are being made from payroll as normal and will be passed on as soon as the IT system is reopened.”
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