Some help for some essential workers

It took a little while, but Vermont’s Front-Line Employees Hazard Pay Grant Program opened for applications this week.

The $28 million program will provide grants from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund to qualified employers to provide $1,200 or $2,000 in hazard pay to certain frontline workers, depending on how much they worked. The money will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The program covers some workers in public safety, public health, human services and health care who:

• had elevated risk of exposure to COVID-19;
• earn less than $25 an hour; and
• worked at least 68 hours between March 13^th and May 15^th.

Individuals who worked between 68 and 216 hours over the period will receive $1,200, while those working more than 216 hours will receive $2,000.

The program is a scaled-down version from that passed by the Vermont Senate in May, primarily due to restrictions on how to use the CRF funds. The current federal guidance has a narrower definition of essential workers, so the Legislature reworked the program to match that definition rather than risking federal claw back of the dollars.

The pay boost will be a welcome one for those who get it. But it’s not enough. The thousands of grocery store workers, child care providers, pharmacy staff, and others who went to work while many Vermonters were hunkered down at home aren’t included in the program. At a minimum, the state should ensure a livable wage for everyone so that people aren’t forced to risk their health while still struggling to meet their basic needs.

This pandemic isn’t over. And while Vermont’s leaders have worked hard, getting a lot done in a short time, they’ll need to do more to meet the scale of this challenge. There are still nearly 40,000 Vermonters out of work, and the restaurant industry for one is not going back to pre-COVID life any time soon. And this pandemic has made it clear just how essential these workers are. Our state spending priorities need to reflect that—federal strings or not.