BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Editor
Union County employees will soon be receiving what amounts to “hazardous duty pay,” for their continued dedication to their jobs during the “COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.” The funds, provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, are seen as a way to both recognize and thank employees for keeping things running as usual, even at a time when they might be jeopardizing their health by doing so.
According to a document provided to the board at its regular November meeting last Monday, the guidance provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the American Rescue Plan allows for Premium Pay for certain employees. The board decided that it wanted to thank and compensate employees that continued to work, providing essential services throughout the pandemic.
Premium Pay is described in the document as being “for work performed at any time since the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency…paid in addition to wages and renumeration already received” with the obligation to pay not having been incurred by the recipient prior to Mar. 3, 2021. Payments made to employees out of the funds must be reported to the Treasury as Premium Pay for Public Sector Employees.
The Board of Commissioners has set a criterion for employee eligibility for Premium Pay. To qualify, an employee must either be employed by the board or a constitutional office of Union County. The employees must also have been continuously employed from Mar. 2, 2021 through November 21, 2021. Newer employees between Mar. 3, 2021 and October 15, 2021 will be eligible for half of the premium pay amount.
For the purposes of this payment, a full-time employee is defined as one who works 30 hours or more per week. Full-time employees with a regular pay rate of $24.04 or less per hour (or $50,000 or less annual salary) as of Nov. 21, 2021 are eligible to receive $1,250. Full time employees whose make more than the above figures within the same timeframe are eligible to receive $1,000.
Part-time employees are defined as workers who work a regular schedule of less than 30 hours per week. Those with a pay rate of less than $24.04 per hour as of Nov. 21, 2021 are eligible to receive $625. Those with a payrate of $24.04 per hour or more are eligible to receive $500.
Call-time employees are defined as are those that are not regularly scheduled to work at all, but that are called of scheduled on an as-needed basis to fill gaps created by regularly scheduled employees taking time off or being understaffed. Those call-time employees that have worked 360 hours from Mar. 15, 2021 through Nov. 21, 2021 are eligible for $400.
At the meeting, the board discussed the matter and agreed that this was the perfect time of year to give the county employees this premium. County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Kellie Rhodes said her office was prepared to go to work on determining each employees’ eligibility and getting the payments out to them by Thanksgiving if at all possible. Motion was made by Commissioner Channing Dobbs to approve the matter and the motion passed the board 5-0.
Two of the county department heads were present at the meeting and made comments on the matter to the board when it was their scheduled time to speak.
Road Department Director Shelton Arnold thanked the board for agreeing to give county employees this premium and said he was sure all would be very appreciative of the extra money.
Mary Brown, Director of the Union County Public Library also thanked the board, saying that she was pleased with the decision.
“I am very grateful for this measure,” Brown said, “not for myself so much as for my employees.”
The Treasury Department is being very strict on how the funds given the county are allowed to be spent and this is one of the first instances in which the county has begun to spend the funds.
