BJC Employees’ Emergency Assistance Fund

BJC team members who experience a financial emergency can apply for relief from a new system-wide fund.

Every emergency is different, but examples of situations that qualify include serious injury or illness, deaths in the family, disasters like a house fire, or other extreme circumstances. A more detailed list that’s available within the fund’s application includes most hardships that can make paying bills difficult.

Full-time BJC employees are eligible for a grant of up to $1,000 and part-time employees are eligible for up to $500 in assistance. The fund is designed to offer one-time aid, so each employee is eligible for only one award per year.

If you would like to apply for assistance from this fund, please use the application below. You will be contacted six weeks after your application is received with an update.

Application for Assistance

Who is Eligible?

To be eligible for assistance, an employee must meet the requirements below:

Be a full-time, part-time or PRN* employee of BJC HealthCare
Have a financial hardship caused by an emergency or unplanned situation
The emergency or unplanned situation must have happened within the last ninety (90) days and after the date of hire
Not be or have an immediate family member who serves as a BJC Vice President or above or as a member of the BJC Board of Directors

*Full-time and part-time employees will be prioritized over PRN employees in the event of fund shortages

What events qualify for assistance?

Hardship That Impacts Basic Living Needs

Full-time BJC employees are eligible for a grant of up to $1,000 and part-time employees are eligible for up to $500 in assistance.

Qualifying emergencies or unplanned situations include the following events that create a financial hardship impacting the ability to pay for basic living needs and necessities such as, but not limited to, food, housing, utilities, transportation, and/or childcare:

Natural disaster: Refers to situations such as wildfire, flood, tornado, hurricane, severe storm, or earthquake which have damaged or destroyed the employee's primary residence and impacts their ability to afford basic needs.
Life-threatening illness or serious injury: Refers to life-threatening illness or serious injury for the employee, spouse or eligible dependents. The fund does not cover the cost of medical care, but rather the resulting financial need, including the inability to meet basic living expenses.
Death incident: Qualifying death expenses include only expenses which are related to the death of the employee, spouse or eligible dependents and which are for loss of income, cost of funeral expenses or remaining bills which prevent an employee from affording basic living expenses.
Catastrophic or extreme circumstances: This includes, but is not limited to, fire, major home damage that could not be prevented, serious crime against the employee (robbery, arson, assault, domestic abuse, or other reportable crime). NOTE: Catastrophic or extreme circumstances do not include reduced work hours or pay unless caused by the catastrophe.

Situations Not Eligible for Assistance

Accumulated financial distress including, but not limited to credit card bills; cell phone bills; home foreclosure or bankruptcy costs; indebtedness to individuals(s), car title companies, pawn shops or other quick loan operations; or long-term indebtedness for home, automobile or other repairs not caused by the qualifying emergency or unplanned situation. Employees who have received or are applying for assistance from one of the funds administered at our individual hospitals or HSOs would be ineligible for this fund for a 12-month period

Who Awards the Grants?

All grant decisions (including amounts) are made by the BJC Employee Emergency Assistance Fund Committee (the “Committee”) based on an objective determination of need. The Committee is comprised of volunteers appointed by the Executive Leadership Team who are not in a position to exercise substantial influence over the affairs of BJC HealthCare. Committee members act in a personal capacity as agents of the Employee Emergency Assistance Fund rather than as representatives of BJC HealthCare.

The Committee will meet regularly to review and approve applications for assistance on an expedited basis.