The United States has entered a third peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with cases spiking across the country. Many experts anticipate that the winter months will be the worst yet, and a new study projects that the U.S. could surpass 500,000 COVID-19 deaths by the end of February. As we begin this even deadlier phase of the pandemic, the country’s 50 million frontline essential workers are among the most vulnerable. Are they receiving fair compensation for the worsening hazards they face on the job?
In this report, we look at the state of hazard pay for COVID-19’s frontline essential workers. We follow up on the recommendations we made in our April report, which called on Congress to pass federally mandated hazard pay. At the beginning of the pandemic, the prospects of hazard pay were bright; in April, the House of Representatives passed legislation to create a $200 billion hazard pay fund, while dozens of large companies were offering small, temporary hourly pay bumps and bonuses to frontline workers.
Seven months later, those hopes have largely been dashed. While the hazards of COVID-19 are growing worse, few frontline essential workers are receiving any hazard pay at all. Most large retail employers ended temporary pay bumps months ago, despite many companies earning record sales, eye-popping profits, and soaring stock prices. After facing strong resistance in the Republican-controlled Senate, House Democrats dropped their hazard pay proposal from their revised legislation in September. Innovative hazard pay initiatives by state governments have been among the few bright spots, but the scale of these efforts is small compared to the need.
The failure of the federal government and most employers to provide hazard pay is especially detrimental to low-wage workers, who comprise nearly half of all frontline essential workers. As the pandemic-fueled recession deepens, many of these low-wage workers face additional financial hardship on top of elevated risks of infection. Nearly half of these low-wage frontline workers are nonwhite, with Black and Latino or Hispanic workers overrepresented among critical jobs that pay less than a living wage.
Deeply rooted policy failures and structural problems underpin these inequities—from a woefully inadequate minimum wage, to systemic racism, to the long-term erosion of worker power. Hazard pay is an immediate stopgap measure to ensure frontline workers earn a living wage as they shoulder extreme burdens. It’s a down payment on what should be permanent, lasting change through an increased minimum wage. Here’s how it can be done.
Hey there! I’ve been diving deep into workplace compensation lately, and let me tell ya – hazard pay is a hot topic that’s not getting nearly enough attention. With the challenges workers face daily, understanding the bill for hazard pay isn’t just interesting – it’s essential for millions of Americans putting their health on the line.
The pandemic changed everything about how we view “essential work” and now in 2025 we’re still figuring out the aftermath. I wanted to share what I’ve learned about hazard pay legislation, because frankly, most workers don’t even know what they might be entitled to.
What Exactly Is Hazard Pay? Breaking It Down
Before we jump into the specifics of the bill, let’s get clear on what hazard pay actually is (because it’s not just a nice bonus).
According to the US. Department of Labor, hazard pay is defined as “additional pay for performing hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship” More specifically, it covers “work duty that causes extreme physical discomfort and distress which is not adequately alleviated by protective devices.”
The interesting thing? The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn’t actually mandate hazard pay for most workers It only requires that for federal employees, hazard pay must be included in their regular rate when calculating overtime
This gap in protection is exactly why new legislation has been introduced.
The Hazard Pay Bill: H.R. 3020 Explained
The bill for hazard pay that’s gotten the most attention is H.R. 3020, introduced in the 117th Congress. This bill aimed to address the significant gaps in worker protection, especially for those deemed “essential workers.”
Key Components of the Hazard Pay Bill:
- Eligibility Requirements: The bill covers workers across various sectors who face elevated risks
- Payment Structure: Proposes additional compensation on top of regular wages
- Funding Mechanisms: Outlines how the program would be financed
- Implementation Timeline: Sets forth the schedule for rolling out payments
- Employer Obligations: Clarifies what businesses must do to comply
One thing that makes this bill unique is its recognition that hazardous conditions extend beyond traditional high-risk industries like mining or construction. It acknowledges that many everyday workers – from grocery clerks to healthcare professionals – regularly face conditions deserving of additional compensation.
Who Would Qualify Under the Hazard Pay Bill?
The bill takes a broad approach to eligibility, recognizing that hazardous work conditions exist across numerous industries.
Likely Qualified Workers Include:
- Healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses, medical assistants)
- First responders (police, firefighters, EMTs)
- Grocery and food service workers
- Public transit employees
- Warehouse and delivery personnel
- Sanitation workers
- Childcare providers working during health emergencies
- Other essential service providers
What’s intresting about this approach is that it moves beyond the traditional view of hazardous work. We’re not just talking about people handling dangerous chemicals or working at extreme heights – we’re talking about anyone who faces elevated risks in performing their job duties.
The Financial Impact: What Would Workers Actually Get?
Let’s talk dollars and cents. After all, that’s what most of us really want to know!
The proposed hazard pay structure would provide significant financial relief to qualifying workers:
| Worker Type | Potential Additional Pay | Payment Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | Up to $13 per hour | Regular paychecks |
| Part-time | Up to $13 per hour | Regular paychecks |
| Contract | Comparable rates | Per terms |
This structure represents a significant boost for many workers, especially those in lower-paying essential roles who may currently be earning at or just above minimum wage.
Opposition and Challenges: Why Hasn’t It Passed Yet?
Of course, not everyone supports the bill. Some of the major concerns raised include:
- Cost concerns: Questions about the total price tag and impact on the federal budget
- Implementation challenges: How to fairly and efficiently distribute funds
- Definitional issues: Debates about who should qualify as facing “hazardous” conditions
- Employer burden: Concerns about additional administrative requirements for businesses
There’s also been debate about whether hazard pay should be a temporary measure during specific crises or a permanent feature of our labor system for certain job categories.
How the Hazard Pay Bill Compares to Current Practices
Currently, hazard pay exists in a patchwork across industries. Some employers offer it voluntarily, some unions have negotiated it, and some government positions include it.
Current Hazard Pay vs. Proposed Bill:
- Standardization: The bill would create uniform standards rather than the current inconsistent approach
- Coverage breadth: Would extend protections to previously overlooked workers
- Enforcement mechanisms: Would include stronger compliance requirements
- Transparency requirements: Would mandate clearer disclosure about hazardous conditions
This standardization would represent a major shift in how we compensate workers for risk, potentially setting new precedents for workplace fairness.
What Workers Need to Do Now
While we wait to see if the bill advances, there are steps workers can take today:
- Know your current rights: Understand if your position already qualifies for hazard pay under existing regulations
- Check your employment contract: Some jobs include hazard pay provisions that aren’t being properly implemented
- Speak with HR: Inquire about company policies regarding hazardous conditions
- Document hazardous conditions: Keep records of situations that may qualify
- Contact your representatives: Let lawmakers know your stance on hazard pay legislation
I personally recommend joining with coworkers to address these issues collectively – there’s strength in numbers when advocating for workplace rights!
The Bigger Picture: What Hazard Pay Says About Worker Value
The debate around hazard pay reveals something important about how we value different types of work in our society. For too long, we’ve accepted the idea that certain jobs just naturally come with risks that don’t deserve additional compensation.
The push for comprehensive hazard pay legislation challenges this assumption. It asks us to reconsider what we owe to the people who keep our society functioning, often at considerable personal risk.
As one advocate put it during congressional testimony: “Calling workers ‘essential’ means nothing if we don’t treat them as essential when it comes to their compensation and protection.”
Industry-Specific Implications
Different sectors would experience the hazard pay bill in different ways:
Healthcare
The healthcare industry would see some of the most significant changes. Healthcare workers have long faced hazardous conditions – from exposure to infectious diseases to workplace violence – often without additional compensation. The bill would formally recognize these risks.
Retail and Service
For retail and service workers, the bill represents an unprecedented recognition of the hazards they face. From dealing with potentially aggressive customers to working during public health emergencies, these workers would gain new protections.
Transportation
Transportation workers, including delivery drivers and public transit employees, would receive acknowledgment of the unique risks they face daily, from road hazards to close contact with the public in confined spaces.
Historical Context: The Evolution of Hazard Pay
To understand the current bill, it helps to look at how hazard pay has evolved:
- World War II: Hazard pay was formalized for dangerous civilian work supporting the war effort
- 1960s-70s: Expansion of hazard pay in government positions and some unionized industries
- 1980s-90s: Gradual erosion of hazard pay provisions in many sectors
- 2020-present: Renewed interest following recognition of essential worker contributions
This historical perspective shows that the current push isn’t radical – it’s actually a return to principles we’ve recognized before about fairly compensating risk.
The International Perspective
The U.S. isn’t alone in grappling with hazard pay questions. Looking at international approaches can be informative:
- European Union: Many countries have established hazard pay frameworks
- Canada: Implemented temporary pandemic pay programs that could inform U.S. approaches
- Australia: Has sector-specific allowances for dangerous work conditions
- Japan: Utilizes risk premiums for certain categories of employment
These international examples provide potential models for how the U.S. could implement more comprehensive hazard pay protections.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Hazard Pay Legislation
While H.R. 3020 represents the most comprehensive attempt at hazard pay reform, it’s unlikely to be the last word on the subject. As workplace risks evolve and our understanding of occupational hazards grows, we can expect continued refinement of hazard pay approaches.
Potential future developments include:
- Integration with broader workplace safety reforms
- Expansion to address emerging risks like climate-related hazards
- More nuanced tiering of hazard categories and corresponding compensation
- Greater emphasis on preventative measures alongside compensatory ones
I’ve spent a lot of time researching this topic because I believe it’s fundamentally about how we value human life and wellbeing in our economic system. The hazard pay bill isn’t just about extra dollars in a paycheck – it’s about recognizing that no worker should have to choose between their health and their livelihood.
Whether you’re directly affected by this legislation or not, it reflects important principles about workplace fairness that ultimately impact all of us. After all, most of us will face some form of workplace risk during our careers, whether it’s a temporary situation or an ongoing condition of employment.
The fight for comprehensive hazard pay is really a fight for the basic principle that when workers take on risk, they deserve to be compensated fairly for it. And that’s something I think we can all get behind.
What do you think about the hazard pay bill? Have you ever worked in conditions you felt deserved hazard pay? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below!
Ten largest low-wage frontline essential jobs that pay less than $15 per hour, 2018
| Occupation | Number | Median wage | % Black | % Latino or Hispanic |
| Personal care aides | 2,152,540 | $11.55 | 23% | 22% |
| Cashiers | 1,959,950 | $10.78 | 17% | 18% |
| Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeepers | 1,774,500 | $12.55 | 17% | 26% |
| Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers | 1,471,370 | $13.59 | 22% | 21% |
| Nursing assistants | 1,389,520 | $13.72 | 35% | 12% |
| Stock clerks and order fillers | 1,146,110 | $12.36 | 18% | 19% |
| Retail salespersons | 1,008,380 | $11.63 | 12% | 17% |
| Security guards | 897,150 | $13.70 | 33% | 17% |
| Home health aides | 775,890 | $11.63 | 37% | 17% |
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | 751,150 | $13.94 | 11% |
33% |
Source: Brookings analysis of Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Emsi data
During our national reckoning over structural racism and inequality, hazard pay can also help address racial equity. Black and Latino or Hispanic workers are overrepresented among low-wage frontline essential workers. In 2018, Black workers comprised 13% of all U.S. workers, but made up 19% of all low-wage frontline essential workers. Latino or Hispanic workers comprised 16% of all U.S. workers, but 22% of low-wage frontline essential workers.
Millions of Black and Latino or Hispanic essential workers hold critical but undervalued jobs in caregiving and health care, cleaning, and other services, often earning poverty wages with few (if any) benefits. Hazard pay targeted to low-wage essential workers would disproportionately benefit workers of color, who too often are excluded from decent-paying work.
Low-wage frontline workers deserve hazard pay
The case for hazard pay is especially urgent for the millions of frontline essential workers who earn low wages. From certified nursing assistants to housekeepers to farm laborers, the essential jobs that are vital to the country and require workers to risks their lives are disproportionately low-paying. We calculate that, as of 2018, nearly half (47%) of all frontline essential workers earned less than a living wage that can sustain a family.
Daryll Cox, a poultry plant worker in Virginia, is one of the nearly 19 million frontline essential workers who earn less than $15 an hour. In an interview this summer, Cox, who is Black, discussed the hardships of his job during the pandemic.
“It’s been a challenge for everybody,” Cox said. “We work around 600 people a night in a packed environment. You just have to pray and believe and hope that the person that you’re working next to is not infected.” He said the “fear of not knowing” causes great anxiety, “wondering if the person working just inches away from you has it, being scared if somebody coughs or sneezes.”
Cox said he enjoys his job, but laments the low wages he earns. Workers at his plant typically make $12 to $14 an hour—considerably less than a living wage. After paying taxes and insurance, Cox said there is little left to pay bills and support a family. He said that even a small hazard pay increase would make a difference.
“We’re not making much,” Cox said. “If you add $2 to $3 an hour, you’d get at least $15. To be in this environment with all the money that we know the company makes, I don’t think it would set back the company at all to at least show us appreciation by giving us a $2 to $3 raise. This is the sentiments of at least 85% of other employees.”
Hazard pay is one way to immediately correct the financial injustice for frontline essential workers who risk their lives—and their families’ lives—without the dignity of wages that can support them. But it is ultimately a stopgap measure—essential workers’ low wages reflect long-standing policy failures and illustrate the need for permanent reforms.
For over a decade, the federal minimum wage has remained stuck at $7.25 per hour, a wage so low it would put workers earning it below the poverty line. Meanwhile, there is overwhelming public support to raise it to $15 per hour. Frontline workers earning paltry wages deserve permanent pay increases and lasting changes to these policy failures. In the interim, hazard pay can make an immediate difference in their lives during the pandemic.
Congresswoman Kendra Horn Introduces Hazard Pay Bill For Healthcare Workers
FAQ
What is the Heroes Act hazard pay?
This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to public or private nonprofit health care facilities and home health agencies for providing hazard pay to essential health care workers during a declared emergency or disaster in which the work or commute is hazardous.
How much is hazard pay per hour in California?
URGENCY ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 8 OF THE SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD CHAPTER 8.77 “COVID-19 HAZARD PAY” TO REQUIRE GROCERY AND DRUG STORES IN THE CITY TO PAY EMPLOYEES AN ADDITIONAL FIVE DOLLARS ($5.00) PER HOUR IN HAZARD PAY DURING THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC.
Is hazard pay time and a half?
Overtime and Hazard Pay
Overtime pay, mandated by law, is calculated at 1.5 times the regular hourly rate for any work over 40 hours a week, while hazard pay is an additional compensation for performing hazardous work. However, it’s important to note that hazard pay is not required under California law.
How much is hazard pay for firefighters?
Hazard pay is a 25% addition to a firefighter’s base pay — applied only to assignments classified as “hazardous.”
