Published: December 1, 2021

We know many workers will receive their pandemic recognition pay by Dec 1st, but some agencies (ODHS and DOJ are two we know of) are issuing most payments on December 15th. If you’re unsure how to find out if you will receive it, you should be able to see it on your paystub issued last week.

Are you unsure if you qualify? To be eligible, workers must have worked at least 480 hours (12 weeks) under the following conditions:

  • Had regular close contact with others outside of their household (less than six feet).
  • Had routine (more than 15 minutes per person(s)) close contact with others outside of their household.
  • Could not perform their job duties from home or another setting that limits the close or routine contact with others outside of their household.
If you don’t receive a payment but believe you should have, take the following steps:
  • Check with your supervisor and/or Human Resources. There is a chance your program or Agency is delayed in their Pandemic Recognition Pay process or that they have made a mistake. If this is the case, try to get confirmation on when the payment will be issued.
  • If you believe you qualify for payment, but your supervisor says you will not receive a payment, then talk to a union steward because we may need to file a grievance if you don’t get a payment you are owed. Our Union created a guide for Stewards on how best to handle these situations, so checking in with your steward is key. Don’t know who your Steward is or don’t have a Steward? Call our Member Assistance Center at 1-844-503-7348 or email them at contact@seiu503.org .
  • Complete this Survey by December 17th so we can include you in the work that we do to make sure everyone who earned this pay gets it.
Still have questions? Read the FAQ or get in touch with your Steward.