Should You Get Hazard Pay For Being An Essential Worker?
During the Covid-19 pandemic a few workers are getting hazard pay. Some businesses that kept on working during the shut down did it as show of good faith. Kroger, Target, and Amazon workers got extra pay during lock-down. Now that states, like Texas, are gradually lifting their stay at home orders most companies are going back on their decisions.
Kroger will end it's 'hero bonuses' on May 16th. Amazon takes back their $2 an hour increase for it's workers on June 1st. Some companies didn't offer hazard pay increases and just did flat out bonuses for workers. Wal-mart and CVS are among some of the business that gave out extra money.
I know lots of people on the front lines never got any hazard pay. I really don't know how to feel about companies that are taking it off the table, at least they gave some in the first place. Even with hazard pay, most essential workers didn't make much money in the first place.
Workers could have made more money if they were on unemployment. Anyone on unemployment is getting an extra $600 a week till the end of July from the Federal Government. There is even a bill in the US House of Representatives that would give essential workers hazard pay, but many don't expect it to pass.
When I've been out, most workers I've seen are wearing masks. It's hot here in East Texas, and wearing a mask all day like the workers I've seen at Chick-Fil-A has got to be hard. While I am typing this the mail just came to the station. The post office employee was wearing a mask, and was loaded down with boxes from Amazon. Should companies that are doing well right now, like Amazon, compensate their workers more during the pandemic?