What?
Governors can seek approval from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to use coronavirus relief funding to provide additional payment to select essential workers.
Why?
Providing essential workers with added compensation puts them in a position of greater financial stability to be able to take off work when sick if paid sick leave is not offered as a benefit of their employment. This is necessary because, for example, home health or direct care workers did not receive paid sick leave under the CARES Act because home care industry advocates feared there would be a shortage of workers if direct care workers had been included (Donlan, 2020).
This suggested action instead incentivizes continued work through weekly bonuses while also compensating workers for the additional risks they are taking. It also allows essential workers who may live in poverty, lack health insurance, and work in close contact with others more susceptible to COVID-19 without protective gear to be more comfortable staying home when sick and reducing exposure among their coworkers.
Recommendations in Action
In Arkansas, the governor made direct care workers employed outside of nursing homes or hospitals eligible to receive a weekly bonus of $125 for part-time workers and $250 for full-time workers. If the workers are employed where a positive COVID-19 case has occurred, they will get an additional weekly payment of $125 for working 1-19 hours, $250 for working 20-39 hours, and $500 for working 40+ hours. Payments are retroactive to April 5th and continued until at least May 30th (KATV, 2020).
In New Hampshire, the governor is providing direct care workers and others working in Medicaid-funded residential facilities weekly payments of $300 until the end of June (Summerson, 2020).
Next Steps
1. Speak with essential workers. See if they are accessing the benefits that currently allowed to them by law. See where they feel they are lacking protections.
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2. Consider forming a committee. This group could act as a source of leadership for those affected throughout your community. Central leadership also helps when it comes to taking action.
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3. Engage in direct advocacy. Write letters to your representatives using our letter templates and use the committee to get others interested, involved, and acting along with you.
References
Dolan, A. (2020, April 15). 'I deserve to be respected': Home care workers make emotional plea for better treatment. Home Health Care News. https://homehealthcarenews.com/2020/04/i-deserve-to-be-respected-home-care-workers-make-emotional-plea-for-better-treatment/
KATV. (2020, April 15). Governor announces bonus pay for some health workers: COVID-19 death toll rises to 34. ABC7. https://katv.com/news/local/governor-announces-bonus-pay-for-health-workers-at-long-term-care-facilities
Summerson, M. (2020, April 14). NH moves to boost pay for long-term care workers. Sentinel Source. https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/nh-moves-to-boost-pay-for-long-term-careworkers/
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