Florida Senate staff receiving $1,000 bonuses for pandemic service

[TexasTowelie]

Many front-line workers will be getting $1,000 bonuses from the state this year thanking them for their dutiful service during the COVID-19 pandemic. First responders like firefighters, police and paramedics are getting checks and teachers too.

Thanks to Senate President Wilton Simpson, all 117 Senate district staff will also be receiving $1,000 bonuses for their service, which continued through the summer last year.

In letters sent to district staff, Simpson thanked them for their hard work and dedication.

“Like other front-line workers across our state, Senate District Staff worked tirelessly during the pandemic to address the myriad essential needs of our constituents,” Simpson wrote. “From assisting with re-employment claims to food banks to identifying testing and vaccine locations and more, you served as a beacon of hope for Floridians who, in many cases, felt like they had nowhere else to turn.”

Read more: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/431378-senate-staff-receiving-1000-bonuses-for-pandemic-service/

[Dreampuff]

1. That isn't a good thing.

If they want to give out $1,000 to essential workers, where is the money for all the people who work in grocery stores or convenience stores or at motels or at restaurants who were serving food to go? What about people who work in warehouses and Truckers and factories and meat packing plants and fruit packing plants? I can think of so many more who are more deserving of this money then the fools who don't do their job during normal times. Our government at work!

[TexasTowelie]

2. All of the workers that you listed are members of the private sector rather than the public sector.

Normally government does not dictate the wages paid in the private sector beyond minimum wage laws. In California, there were some municipalities that mandated hazard pay at grocery stores; however, it backfired since the companies decided to close stores rather than pay the increased wage.

I also see that you have a low opinion of public sector employees. As a former public employee I will state that I deserved every penny that I earned since my pay was about 20% lower than similar positions in the private sector. Yes, there were some employees that slid by, but I saw that occurring in both the public sector and private sector.

Also, just because there was a pandemic doesn't mean that every legislative staffer was able to work remotely. People in the IT and communication sectors still had to report to work so that other legislative staffers could telecommute.

I've found it helpful during my career to never assume that other employees sit around and do nothing, particularly if I never worked a similar job myself. The janitors that emptied my trash can and cleaned the toilets at work had a job just as important as my job as a statistical analyst. Unless you have worked as a legislative staffer, I doubt that you are aware of the skills, schedules, and routines that come with the job which includes uncompensated overtime work including all-nighters.

[Dreampuff]

3. I evidently have messed up in my messaging.

Both my husband and I Were public sector employees, like several other members of our family.

[TexasTowelie]

4. Okay, and please accept my apology for what I inferred about your view of public sector employees.

Apparently the legislators felt that their staff deserved a bonus, much as other essential workers do. Some of the private sector employees received pay raises or hazard pay over the past year. The legislators can't do much to help pay private sector employees, but they did step up where they do have some influence which I do believe is a good thing.

[Dreampuff]

5. Thank you. No worries.

This is an internet forum and it isn't always easy to understand where the other person is coming from.

Some of the large companies like Amazon and Target, Etc.. gave their employees Hazard pay, but many small companies gave them nothing except fewer hours and a freeze on raises.

I don't know the update on this, but what was done in the school districts was also unfair. Of course teachers deserve decent raises and a $1,000 bonus, but at one point they were going to freeze the raises on everyone else. People in the IT departments had a huge struggle keeping the systems up and running and they put many hours in with no extra pay. And between stripping floors and shampooing carpets and trying to clean up behind everyone, the janitors were now being held responsible for some pretty heavy duty sanitizing with some heavy duty chemicals.

And in case you haven't guessed it yet, I cheer for the losing team when I watch a game.😀