HB 23-17: Jobs and Pay During the Coronavirus Pandemic Act (Passed)

[RC]

Aye, despite the budget pushing. This needs to be done. After this tho the budget should probably be renegotiated to offset the cost of this.

[thumb21]

Since we are already having a final vote, we can't make improvements now but as you said - if we pass this, we can sort it out when it gets to the Senate.

I'll just respond to some of your concerns.

how is food service workers defined?

There are classifications on the US Bureau of Labor which would cover this I think (https://www.bls.gov/soc/2018/major_groups.htm#35-0000) but it doesn't hurt to clarify this more.

Is this just full-time workers are part-time as well?

Both are putting themselves at risk while they work, so yeah I intended to include both.

There are a lot of restaurants around me that have shut down completely during the crisis. "More Money for Hurting Small Businesses Act" seems to be covering the initial pay as it is the average of the past year, but may not be able to cover some of this additional that is required under this bill.

The Pericles stimulus does cover this in its loans, I believe, but I think it would be reasonable to give some relief to small businesses in struggling industries, particularly restuarants. We could cover all the costs of hazard pay for resturants and for other small businesses which are stuggling, and we could balance this by increase percentage that big retail companies and other businesses where hazard pay applies who have been doing well in the crisis.

Right now, employees who fall into one of those categories but who aren't working now are going to be getting their regular pay, an additional 20% as well as the monthly stimulus checks.

The aim of the hazard pay is to ensure that people who are out working in conditions that are dangerous for their health are properly compensated, so I agree with you that people who aren't out working at the moment shouldn't get it.

Perhaps designation that this only applies to businesses that have remained open operating a certain number of business hours per week.

I don't agree with this because I think frontline workers should get hazard pay regardless of the hours of a business but as I mentioned above, I think there are other ways we can balance this.

[thumb21]

Passed

5-2-1-1

[thumb21]

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 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.

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.

House of Representatives
Passed the House of Representatives 5-2-1-1

[thumb21]

This bill is important for job retention and for appreciating our essential workers. I had written an amendment to adress some of the concerns that were raised that I would put forward when it entered the senate but it still hasn't entered the senate and my time in congress is almost up, so I'll store it here.

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.

House of Representatives
Passed the House of Representatives 5-2-1-1

[Fmr. Representative Encke]

Good amendment.