Jefferson County workers to get COVID hazard pay

Posted

Jefferson County employees will get $1,000 in “premium pay” for working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

County commissioners unanimously passed a resolution approving the hazard pay at their meeting Monday.

“This resolution has fairly widespread support from department directors and electeds,” Commissioner Kate Dean said before the vote.

“I thank Island County,” Dean added, noting that she “literally plagiarized” the language of the resolution from Jefferson’s neighboring county to the northeast.

“I’m fully behind it,” Commissioner Greg Brotherton said of the premium pay proposal.

Brotherton originally said he supported not including commissioners and department heads in the group that would be eligible to get the bonus.

Others noted that department directors had also been front-line workers during the pandemic, and after extended discussion, the proposal was expanded to include department heads.

Sarah Melancon, a human resources analyst for Jefferson County Public Works, said the premium pay would be a way to acknowledge the work of those who have been on the job working with the public during the pandemic, including public health workers, corrections staff, and solid waste employees.

“The pandemic has been really hard on all of us, as you know,” she said. “I think this is a valuable way in which we can recognize our employees, all of our employees.” 

“Everyone has worked really hard during these times. It’s been a burden to all of us,” Melancon said.

To be eligible to get a check for hazard pay, county workers must be employed from Nov. 8 through
Dec. 31.

County Administrator Mark McCauley said the pandemic has taken a toll on county workers, and the premium pay would send a positive message.

“Following pretty good labor settlements this, I think, would be a much appreciated gesture. Because some people might actually have valid cases of PTSD because of this pandemic,” McCauley said. “What are we, almost into it for two years now?”

“You’ll likely hear some complaints, but I don’t think you could engineer this in a manner where you would receive no complaints,” he said of the proposal.

The resolution noted that premium pay for working during the COVID-19 pandemic would promote the retention of employees and also compensate them “for the risks of working on the frontlines of a global pandemic.”

The extra pay is merited, the resolution added, due to the added risk of exposure to the coronavirus that county employees have faced while staying on the job.

The county plans to use federal relief funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to pay for the bonuses.

Brotherton said he was opposed to including commissioners in the group of employees that would receive additional pay of $1,000.

The final group of eligible workers includes full-time and half-time employees, plus clerk hires who work a variety of hours but less than 70 hours a month. Combined, that’s 337 people who may be eligible. Elected officials beyond the county commissioners, such as the sheriff, treasurer, auditor, and others, will also be eligible.

Brotherton simply summed up the pay proposal after it was approved on a 3-0 vote: “Taking care of those who take care of us.”