Democrats in the US Senate proposed $25,000 hazard pay for essential workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.
“Essential frontline workers are the true heroes of America’s COVID-19 pandemic response,” Senate Democrats said in the proposal document published Tuesday.
“Senate Democrats believe in providing premium pay to frontline workers during this pandemic to reward essential frontline workers, ensure the retention of essential workers who are working grueling hours on the frontlines of this crisis, and promote the recruitment of additional workers who will be needed in the months ahead.”
PREMIUM PAY INCREASE FOR ESSENTIAL FRONTLINE WORKERS
“As the Congress looks at a potential fourth COVID-19 bill, the following proposal is meant for consideration by Members of Congress, key stakeholders, and the American people,” they urged.
The bill called Heroes Fund offers a $25,000 pandemic premium pay increase for essential frontline workers, equivalent to a raise of an additional $13 per hour from the start of the public health emergency until Dec. 31, and a $15,000 recruitment incentive for health and home care workers and first responders to attract and secure the workforce needed to fight the public health crisis.
The payment would cap the total maximum premium pay at $25,000 for each essential frontline worker earning less than $200,000 per year and $5,000 for those earning $200,000 or more per year, according to the document.