The Covid-19 pandemic has put immense strain on essential workers across the country. From healthcare professionals to grocery store employees, these workers have put their health at risk to continue providing critical services In recognition of their sacrifices, the federal government passed legislation to provide hazard pay to these essential workers This article will explain what Covid-19 hazard pay is, who is eligible, how much they can receive, and the arguments for and against providing this extra pay.
What is Hazard Pay?
Hazard pay, also known as danger pay, is additional compensation given to employees who perform hazardous duties that involve physical hardship or work involving designated dangers It is paid on top of regular wages and meant to account for the increased risk associated with certain jobs.
Hazard pay is most commonly given to military personnel and first responders. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has expanded the scope to include healthcare workers and other essential employees. With millions of Americans contracting the highly contagious virus, reporting to work poses a legitimate danger for these workers. Hazard pay aims to compensate them for this elevated risk.
The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act
In May 2020, the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, a $3 trillion stimulus bill. Part of the act included hazard pay provisions to support essential workers. Specifically, it allocated:
-
Up to $10,000 in hazard pay for low-wage essential workers, capped at $5,000 per person. This covers healthcare workers, first responders, transit employees, postal workers, and more.
-
Up to $35,000 in hazard pay for high-risk healthcare workers. This includes doctors, nurses, and medical support staff in contact with Covid-19 patients.
-
$200 billion to provide premium pay to essential workers, equal to a $13 per hour raise for up to one year.
The bill ultimately did not pass the Senate. But it demonstrated early federal efforts to compensate essential employees facing heightened risks during the pandemic.
State and Local Hazard Pay Initiatives
With no comprehensive federal hazard pay legislation in place, some state and local governments took matters into their own hands. For example:
-
Michigan provided $1,000 in hazard pay to full-time healthcare employees working in facilities with confirmed Covid-19 patients. Part-time workers received $500.
-
Louisville, Kentucky allocated $2 million to provide up to $500 in hazard pay for city employees working in-person during the pandemic.
-
Hawaiʻi governor David Ige announced $70 million to provide lump sum hazard pay to essential public workers earning under $70,000 per year.
While these initiatives help compensate some essential workers, their limited scope leaves many frontline employees without extra pandemic pay.
Arguments For Covid-19 Hazard Pay
Proponents of expanding federal hazard pay during the pandemic make several key arguments:
Compensate essential workers for elevated risks: From bus drivers to meatpacking employees, essential workers have contracted Covid-19 at higher rates than the general population. Hazard pay accounts for this increased susceptibility.
Support low-wage workers: Many essential employees work in low-paying jobs and live paycheck to paycheck. Hazard pay would provide urgently needed income and demonstrate their importance.
Incentivize continued work: Absenteeism has disrupted some essential services during Covid-19 outbreaks. Providing hazard pay could entice more employees to show up.
Fairness: Essential workers are putting themselves in harm’s way to keep society functioning. Fair compensation through hazard pay is the least society can offer them in return.
Arguments Against Covid-19 Hazard Pay
Those against expanding federal pandemic hazard pay counter:
Too expensive: A comprehensive national program would carry a massive price tag. With debt and deficits already ballooning, the US cannot afford the added cost.
Difficulty administering: Determining eligibility, standardizing pay levels, and distributing hazard pay would require immense coordination at great administrative cost.
Disincentivize other work: Generous hazard pay with no cap could entice people to pursue essential roles over other important work to maximize pay.
Temporary need: Vaccines are being distributed and Covid-19 cases are declining. The acute need for hazard pay will soon subside.
State and local purview: The federal government providing hazard pay circumvents state and local governments’ authority over employment matters.
While strong arguments exist on both sides, the unique sacrifices of essential workers during the pandemic weigh heavily in favor of providing hazard pay. Even if a nationwide program proves unfeasible, targeted bills helping the most vulnerable frontline employees are certainly warranted.
The Path Forward
Covid-19 has tested America’s essential workforce like never before. From emergency rooms to delivery trucks, employees continue showing up day after day despite legitimate fears for their safety. Hazard pay represents a good faith effort to compensate these workers for their exceptional contributions.
Moving forward, the likelihood of comprehensive federal hazard pay legislation passing seems low given Republican resistance. However, Democrats intend to keep pressing the issue. Additional state and local hazard pay initiatives are also likely, focusing on the most high-risk and underpaid essential workers. For example, the governor of Minnesota recently proposed a $250 million plan to provide frontline worker grants.
While hazard pay alone cannot fully account for the risks essential employees face, it signifies society’s gratitude and respect for their service during extraordinarily challenging times. America’s essential workforce deserves nothing less.
1 Can I be required to perform work outside of my job description?
Yes, the FLSA does not limit the types of work employees aged 18 and older may be required to perform. However, there are restrictions on what work employees under the age of 18 can do. This is true whether or not the work asked of the employee is listed in the employees job description.
As part of pre-influenza, pandemic, or other public health emergency planning, employers might want to consult their human resource specialists if they expect to assign employees work outside of their job description during a pandemic or other public health emergency. Employers might also wish to consult bargaining unit representatives if they have a union contract.
2 I am teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic. My employer allows employees flexible hours during the normal workday to take care of personal and family obligations, such as caring for my children while school is closed. If I begin work, take several hours in the middle of the workday to care for my children, and then return to work, what is the proper way to count my compensable hours? (revised 04/26/2021)
Under the FLSA, employers generally must pay employees only for the hours they actually work, whether at home or at the employer’s office. Periods during which an employee is completely relieved from duty and which are long enough to enable the employee to use the time effectively for her own purposes are considered “off duty” time and are not hours worked. This principle applies whether you and your employer agree in advance on the schedule or if your employer allows you flexibility to choose the hours that you will take off to care for your children. Your employer therefore does not need to count the hours in the middle of the workday that you use to care for your children as hours worked.
Home health care workers can get $1,500 COVID-19 hazard pay
FAQ
What qualifies as hazard pay?
How much is federal hazard pay?