As you have probably heard, the hospital’s timekeeping system is down because Kronos has been hit by a large-scale ransomware attack. The hospital temporarily requires all employees to submit their time manually.
This week, UMass Memorial is paying everyone the same amount they got paid last week. That’s going to be wrong for some people. Please be mindful about your personal spending, particularly if you suspect that the hospital has overpaid you. If you are overpaid, you’re going to have to return the extra.
The hospital directs that if you worked different shifts the week of 11/28/21 – 12/4/21 than you did the week of 12/5/21 – 12/11/21 or you believe your pay is wrong, then you should send an email to KronosIncident@umassmemorial.org and include:
Your name
Your employee ID
Your manager’s name
A short description of the problem
If you are paid too much, you will have to return the extra.
If you are paid too little, the hospital will fix it.
The Boston Globe reports that the attack has affected thousands of organizations, including Target, Staples, Stop & Shop, Whole Foods, the city of Springfield, and the MBTA. “The company [Kronos] said that the outage could last several weeks,” the article states.
Continuing information will come from UMass Memorial. Here’s a copy of their latest email, which includes more details and answers to some frequently asked questions:
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From: Robin Sodano, Chief Information Officer and Brian Huggins, Senior Vice President, Finance & Corporate Controller
To: Medical Center Caregivers
Date: December 14, 2021
Subject: Update 3- URGENT Payroll & Time Tracking Information
Kronos, our hours tracking and scheduling software vendor, suffered a cyberattack this past weekend, which left UMass Memorial temporarily unable to access and process payroll normally for the foreseeable future. The following important updates apply to all employees, both exempt/salaried and non-exempt/hourly:
We are planning to issue payroll, as scheduled, on Thursday.
However, because we cannot access Kronos data, we need to use hours that were reported for the week of 11/28/21 – 12/4/21 for this week’s payroll. Once payroll is issued, we will work to rectify any inaccuracies that may exist.
While most employees will receive accurate pay, we do anticipate that there will be some unavoidable inaccuracies.
Any employee who worked different shifts the week of 11/28/21 – 12/4/21 than they did the week of 12/5/21 – 12/11/21 or does not receive accurate pay this Thursday is asked to email KronosIncident@umassmemorial.org with their name, employee ID, manager and short description of the discrepancy.
Because Kronos expects that this outage to last for several weeks, we are working to create an easier time tracking process. Until further notice, however, please continue to
Print copies of the attached time tracking form (now in Word format.)
Accurately record your time and turn in the form at the end of each shift to your supervisor (or in a location designated by your supervisor.)
Managers will collect these timesheets and store in a safe place until further direction is provided.
All employees must continue to swipe in/out of Kronos as normal in addition to filling out the manual timecards.
We have also compiled an FAQ below to better address your concerns. If you have questions or concerns that are not addressed, please do not hesitate to email KronosIncident@umassmemorial.org or leave a voicemail on our recorded line (#508-334-1500) and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. Please know that we are doing everything we can to ensure that all caregivers receive accurate pay and are committed to working with you to ensure that this inconvenience is mitigated over the coming weeks.
Kronos/Payroll FAQ
How will I get paid?
A.) Despite Kronos being offline, we are still going to process payroll on Thursday, December 16th. However, to issue payroll this week we will rely on hours that were reported for the week of 11/28/21 – 12/4/21. This means that if you worked the exact same number of hours the week of 11/28/21-12/4/21 as you did the week of 12/5/21-12/11/21, you should expect to receive the same paycheck this week as you did last week.
What if someone worked different hours last week than they did the week before?
A.) We are going to work with impacted employees to ensure we accurately pay our caregivers. If an employee’s hours last week (12/5/21 – 12/11/21) were different than the week of 11/28/21 – 12/4/21, your pay may be impacted. If this is the case, UMass Memorial has established an email box (KronosIncident@umassmemorial.org) and recorded line (# 508-334-1500) to capture this information and to begin the process of making corrections. Please include your name, employee ID, manager name and brief description of your situation.
Can managers report this information on behalf of employees?
A.) Yes, managers can report payroll issues to the email box or phone number on behalf of their employees. For each employee, please include the employee’s name, ID, manager name and brief description of their situation.
When will payroll inaccuracies be remedied?
A.) We recognize the importance of this issue to our caregivers and are going to work to remediate discrepancies as soon as we can. It is imperative that employees alert UMass Memorial discrepancies – providing their name, employee ID, manager name, and brief description of the situation – as soon as they are identified so we can work with managers to validate correct amounts owed.
I can’t afford to not receive a full paycheck, especially this time of year. What will you do to help?
A.) We are doing everything possible to ensure that you and other affected employees receive an accurate and timely paycheck each week despite the sudden and unexpected loss of our payroll software. It is critical that you assist us in this process by completing your timesheet accurately, reviewing your timesheet with your supervisor if necessary, and reporting any potential discrepancy you may find in your paycheck as soon as possible, as is explained above.
What if a check I wrote bounces because I did not receive the correct amount of pay?
A.) UMass Memorial will cover the fees incurred with the bounced check as a result of this inconvenience. We will provide more details on this at a later time.
What do I do if my paid time off bank is inaccurate?
A) We will rectify any paid time off inaccuracies when the system is operational and we have ensured everyone received the correct pay. We will have further updates on this in subsequent communications.
Do I have to keep swiping in and using the manual timecard?
A.) Yes, it may be several weeks before we can return to normal, but to expedite a speedy return to normal operations when it is possible, we need everyone to continue swiping in/out and filling out paper timecards. Unfortunately, in the near term, UMass Memorial is reliant on its vendor to resolve this situation before normal payroll operations can resume.
If this was a cyber-attack, was any personal information compromised?
A.) We do not believe that there are any privacy risks to our employees at this time because very little personal information was stored within Kronos. The UMass Memorial Privacy Department is aware of this situation, and Kronos is working with legal authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into how the attack took place and who may be responsible. If the Privacy Department determines that personal information was breached, you will be notified.
How do managers sign off on last week’s payroll?
A.) No one can access Kronos, so it is impossible to access the system to sign off on payroll. There is nothing for managers to do at this time.
Can managers view last week’s payroll to ensure accuracy?
A.) No. We cannot access any data in Kronos right now. That’s why we are using the hours from the week of 11/28/21 – 12/4/12.
Do providers, APPs, and other exempt employees need to fill out paper timecards?
A.) Yes. All employees must fill out paper timecards.
Do staff need to submit paper timecards for last week?
A: If staff could not successfully swipe out on Saturday night/Sunday morning, they need to do a paper timecard for that shift. Otherwise, all other staff do not need to do a paper timecard for last week.
I need to make adjustments to last week’s payroll.
A: Adjustments cannot be made as we do not have access to any data within Kronos. This will be done retroactively when the system is operational.
I have a question about scheduling.
A: All scheduling questions should be sent to KronosSchedulingAdmin@umassmemorial.org.
How should travelers submit their time?
A: They should use our paper timecards right now until directed otherwise.
What about employees who were on vacation last week?
A: If employees did not work their normal hours last week, please ask them to email KronosIncident@umassmemorial.org or call 508-334-1500 to let us know when they did work. We will then confirm that information with their manager. Managers can also submit this information behalf of employees.
Can we use an email equivalent to the PDF form for our remote workers?
A: Yes, attached is a word document version that can be completed electronically.
What do managers do with the timecards?
A: Hold on to them until further instruction is provided.
12/21/21 update: The latest directive from the hospital for dealing with pay issue states “if there is a discrepancy in your pay, please either:
Fill out the Kronos Incident Help Desk Form. You do not need to be logged in to the UMass Memorial network to access this. Using this form will enable us to respond more quickly to your issue; or
If you can’t access the form, you can still email kronosincident@umassmemorial.org or call 508-334-1500. In both cases, you must leave your full name, employee ID number, manager’s name and an explanation of your pay discrepancy.”
