Gov. Tom Wolf announced the availability of $50 million in grant funding to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hazard pay is intended to keep frontline employees working in vital industry sectors across Pennsylvania.
“In the fight against COVID-19, our frontline workers have put themselves at risk every day in order to continue to provide life-sustaining service to their fellow Pennsylvanians, and this funding will increase their pay in recognition of those sacrifices,” said Wolf. “These grants will help businesses retain employees, ensure that Pennsylvanians keep working and avoid disruption of critical goods and services.”
Created through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, this reimbursement-based grant is available to employers offering hazard pay during the eligible program period and will be administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development. Businesses may apply for grants up to a maximum of $3 million.
The following applicants are eligible to apply:
– Businesses
– Healthcare nonprofits
– Public transportation agencies
– Certified Economic Development Organizations
Eligible Pennsylvania-based industries include:
– Healthcare and social assistance
– Ambulatory health care services
– Hospitals
– Nursing and residential care facilities
– Transit and ground passenger transportation
– Food manufacturing
– Food retail facilities
– Security services for eligible industries listed above and commercial industries that were not closed as a result of the governor’s business closure order
– Janitorial services to buildings and dwellings
Grant funds may be used for hazard pay for direct, full-time and part-time employees earning less than $20 per hour, excluding fringe benefits and overtime for the 10-week period from August 16 to Oct. 24. Applicants may apply for up to $1,200 per eligible full-time equivalent employee. Employers may apply for a grant to provide hazard pay for up to 500 eligible full-time equivalent employees per location.
Eligible applicants may apply for grants using the online DCED Electronic Single Application for Assistance located at esa.dced.state.pa.us from July 16 to 31. Program inquiries may be directed to 717-787-6245 or ra-dcedcbf@pa.gov.
“This grant program will put $50 million in CARES Act dollars into the pockets of Pennsylvania’s lowest-paid frontline workers, who risked their families’ health and safety to keep us fed, care for our children and elderly, and help fellow frontline workers get to and from work,” said state Sen. Maria Collett (D-Bucks, Montgomery), Democratic chairwoman of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee. “I am especially glad to see that Governor Wolf and DCED considered my input and included actual risk and local prevalence of COVID as evaluation criteria.”
