Hazard Pay For Essential Workers

Many people have had questions and not understood the reality regarding hazard pay for essential workers. Many believe that the federal government has already funded hazard pay for workers. This is not the case.

As a nurse, I work with a number of workers who have been discussing this for several weeks, asking when they will get their hazard pay. I was one of the few not asking the question. Sure, it would benefit me but I was not adding it into my budget. However, after the conversation continued to escalate emotionally, ever the geek I did the research for everyone while they discussed food and cars. It took one single search term to find the answer. Less than 2 minutes.

That’s what happens when you take action, think critically and put your emotions on the back burner.

What has happened so far is that the first “stimulus” bill provided funding for hospitals. There was no requirement included in that bill for any funds at all to be paid to workers. Basically it gave corporate executives and investors money. Soon after receiving that money, many medical systems began laying off personnel, closing entire floors of hospitals in the process.

It would take a separate executive order by Trump to establish funding to treat patients positive for the pandemic.

Only on 4/26/2020 was a bill proposed by Democrats which calls for hazard pay for essential workers, even as states are attempting to lift restrictions sooner than is safe to do so. The bill will likely…