Federal rules allow state COVID-19 recovery funds to pay essential workers up to $13 per hour, in addition to their regular pay. However, this amount cannot exceed $25,000 per employee.
State and local governments have struggled to determine who among the many workers who braved the raging coronavirus pandemic before vaccines became available should qualify for so-called hero pay: Should it go to a small pool of essential workers like nurses or be spread around to others, including grocery store workers?
While many workers deemed essential in their respective states have already received pandemic hazard pay or hero pay, there are thousands more still waiting.