The coronavirus pandemic has had an adverse impact on just about everyone. Some parts of the country have had a harder time dealing with it than others. One of the areas that has been at the hardest is Washington state. In particular, Seattle has faced its challenges. As businesses continue to reopen, the virus is still very much with us. Even though it is good that a vaccine has been developed, it will take some time for it to be rolled out completely. As a result, a lot of essential workers are placing themselves in harm’s way in order to provide us with the services we require. This includes individuals who work at the grocery store. In exchange for putting themselves on the line, they deserve to be compensated with increased pay. Fortunately, it appears that the Seattle council is now ready to do exactly that.
In accordance with the city mayor, all grocery store workers are going to be provided with Hazard pay, which will provide them with an extra $4 per hour. This regulation is going to apply to all grocery store employees who are working in the city of Seattle. This order is going to take place during the month of February and it is going to continue until vaccines are available to everyone who works in grocery stores. Ideally, this will happen in April; however, it is unclear if the city is actually going to meet that goal. Of note, there are some grocery stores that are already providing some hazard pay. Those who are not currently applying it will need to do so in order to remain in compliance with this new regulation.
It is important for everyone to remember that these grocery store employees are placing their life on the line in order to provide with the food and drinks we want. Therefore, everyone who’s going into a grocery store has to remember to remain socially distant, wear a mask, and wash their hands. That way, we can get this virus under control and reduce the chances of people getting sick, ending up in the hospital, and dying as a result of this pandemic. It will be interesting to see how this hazard pay regulation unfolds.
