JOBS AND PAY DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ACT
To provide hazard pay to frontline workers and incentivise employee retention.
Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled
SECTION I: TITLE.
This law shall be referred to as the Jobs and Pay During the Coronavirus Pandemic Act.
SECTION II: FINDINGS.
(a) Frontline workers put the health and wellbeing of themselves and their families at great risk to provide vital services to help Atlasians get through this pandemic.
(b) Hazard pay can help us compensate these workers for the risks they are taking.
(c) The Coronavirus pandemic has put many workers at risk of unemployment.
(d) It is important, therefore, that congress works to keep people in employment so that they can afford what they need to get through these difficult times.
SECTION III: DEFINITIONS.
(a) "Frontline workers" shall refer to:
(i) Healthcare workers.
(ii) First responders.
(iii) Grocery and food service workers.
(iv) Farmworkers.
(v) Public works employees.
(vi) Postal and delivery workers.
SECTION IV: HAZARD PAY FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS.
(a) In addition to their normal wage, frontline workers shall be entitled to hazard pay equivalent to 20% of their monthly pay. as it stood on the 1st of March 2020.
(b) 75% of This hazard pay be covered by the Atlasian Federal Government. with the remaining 25% covered by the employer.
(c) The hazard pay granted by this section shall be offered in addition to any other hazard pay an employee may be recieving.
(d) This section shall apply to all pay from the 1st of March 2020 until the 1st of March 2021.
SECTION V: EMPLOYEE RETENTION.
(a) All loans given to businesses with fewer than 250 employees under the More Money for Hurting Small Businesses Act and the Emergency Economic Stimulus Act of 2020 shall become grants if a business does not dismiss employees or reduce employees hours without their consent for 10 months upon the passage of this act.
(i) This provision shall not apply in cases of documented serious employee incompetence or bad faith actions (provided other remedies have proven infeasible).
(b) Businesses shall be required to pay 25% of the monthly wage as it stood on the 1st of March 2020 of employees who they have dismissed for 3 months after the dismissal.
(i) This provision shall not apply in cases of documented serious employee incompetence or bad faith actions (provided other remedies have proven infeasible).
(ii) This provision shall apply for 10 months upon the passage of this act.
SECTION V: IMPLEMENTATION.
(a) This act shall take effect immediately upon passage.
