Hazard pay funding applications open until July 31

WEST CHESTER » Applications for the COVID-19 Hazard Pay Grant Program are open until July 31, state Sen. Andy Dinniman announced.

The program was established to help employers provide hazard pay to employees in life-sustaining occupations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funds come through the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA), and authorizes the CFA to adopt guidelines to ensure grants are made available to all geographic areas of the commonwealth through hazard mitigation.

“Recognizing our frontline workers and essential employees as heroes is not enough,” Dinniman said. “We as a state and as its people need to back this up with financial assistance for those most at risk working during the COVID-19 pandemic. These hazard pay grants seek to do just that.”

Businesses, health care non-profits, public transportation agencies, and certified economic development organizations may apply for funding for employers located and operating in Pennsylvania within one of the following eligible industries:

• Healthcare and Social Assistance

• Food Manufacturing

• Food Retail Facilities

• Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation

Security Services for eligible industries listed above and commercial industries that were not closed as a result of the Governor’s Business Closure Order include 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/hour, excluding fringe benefits and overtime. Funds may only be used to pay hazard pay for eligible employees for the 10-week period from Aug. 16, 2020 through Oct. 24, 2020.

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 ($600,000 maximum grant per location). No Employer may receive more than $3,000,000 of the funding under the COVID-19 Hazard Pay Grant Program.