Gov. Wolf calls on General Assembly to provide additional funding for front-line workers

Gov. Tom Wolf called on the General Assembly last week to provide an additional $225 million in federal CARES Act funding for the COVID-19 Hazard Pay Program, which supports front-line workers in life-sustaining industries during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The COVID-19 Hazard Pay Grant Program was created to keep front-line employees working in vital industry sectors and to compensate workers appropriately for the additional hazards their jobs entail during a pandemic,” Wolf said. “The overwhelming response we received for this program shows a clear need for additional hazard pay funding, and so I am calling on the General Assembly to allocate additional and much-needed funds so that we can further support workers who put their health on the line to keep life-sustaining services operating for all of us.”

The reimbursement program was announced in July with an initial availability of $50 million in grant funding for employers providing hazard pay. Under the terms released in July, businesses can apply for grants up to a maximum of $3 million.

The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), which administered the program, reported more than 10,000 applications totaling nearly $900 million. Of those applications, 5,000 businesses were eligible. Through the program, 639 employers were awarded $50 million, supporting a $3 per hour increase in pay for 41,587 workers across eligible industries.

“The COVID-19 Hazard Pay Grant Program is one way we can give back to employees in critical industries, because we know that these workers didn’t stop when COVID-19 appeared in the commonwealth,” DCED Secretary Dennis Davin said. “However, it can’t be overlooked that thousands of Pennsylvania businesses applied for and deserved this funding. There is an immense need for more resources, more assistance, more grant dollars — and the Wolf Administration is committed to finding additional avenues of support for Pennsylvania’s front-line workers.”