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Some local governments have started mandating hazard pay

Feb 19, 2021
But almost a year into the pandemic, most front-line workers are going without it.
Working on site during the pandemic is still hazardous, but many who do that receive no  hazard pay from their employers.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

There's a push to mandate hazard pay at the local level

Jan 13, 2021
With COVID-19 spreading out of control, it's never been riskier for front-line workers.
Cashier Olga Jiminez, clad in mask and gloves, at work at Presidente Supermarket in Miami in April. Many companies that provided hazard pay early in the pandemic eventually phased it out.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Starbucks and Home Depot permanently raising wages

Nov 19, 2020
A growing number of people across the country and the political spectrum support raising the minimum wage. Is this a sign of a bigger shift?
Starbucks is boosting starting salaries to help attract and retain new employees.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Who should pay for hazard pay?

Jul 24, 2020
Companies have mostly stopped paying it. Now, local governments are stepping in.
An employee at work in the meat department of a Florida supermarket. Such workers are considered essential and are taking risks during the pandemic but are not highly paid.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Why stores are saying "hero bonus" instead of "hazard pay"

May 22, 2020
Companies like Kroger and McDonald’s have been using terms of gratitude to describe extra pay for hazardous duty.
A supermarket employee stands behind a cash register with a superhero cloak during quarantine.
Anna Lukina/Getty Images

The changing labor market could affect hazard pay

May 20, 2020
Bonuses for many essential workers is being rolled back this month. And high unemployment could push wages down, even for risky jobs.
An Amazon employee at the company's Staten Island distribution facility. The giant retailer is phasing out its hazard pay.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

How long should companies give hazard pay?

May 5, 2020
Most businesses, especially small ones, don’t have a disaster plan for a global pandemic.
A worker stocks items in a California grocery store in March.
Mario Tama/Getty Images