Posted on Nov 18, 2021
Civilian job did not give COVID bonus that coworkers received. Any advice/thoughts?
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My civilian job as a city and county employee gave out a, federally funded, COVID hazard bonus for all personnel who were required to work in person from March though December of 2020. The bonus just went out and I did not receive one. I am a Police Dispatcher / 911 Operator and no one in my position worked from home.
I was in Iraq, Kuwait, and on terminal leave during just shy of all of 2020. Thus I wasn't at work. It is unclear, to me, where USERRA stands on this. I have sent a request up though the supervisory chain and they are verbally supportive but are they not the final decision makers.
I have a very good relationship with my employer and have submitted them for a Freedom Award every year I've been here and they have received the highest state level award twice. I am considering contacting the ESGR Ombudsman but want to avoid being antagonistic as there are good opportunities for advancement within my city.
Any thoughts on this situation? Any thoughts on federally funded COVID hazard pay? To my knowledge the military is not receiving a comparable bonus.
I was in Iraq, Kuwait, and on terminal leave during just shy of all of 2020. Thus I wasn't at work. It is unclear, to me, where USERRA stands on this. I have sent a request up though the supervisory chain and they are verbally supportive but are they not the final decision makers.
I have a very good relationship with my employer and have submitted them for a Freedom Award every year I've been here and they have received the highest state level award twice. I am considering contacting the ESGR Ombudsman but want to avoid being antagonistic as there are good opportunities for advancement within my city.
Any thoughts on this situation? Any thoughts on federally funded COVID hazard pay? To my knowledge the military is not receiving a comparable bonus.
Civilian Career
911 Dispatcher
ESGR
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 12
If I understand correctly, the bonus was only paid for employees who came in to work during COVID.
And you weren't there at all because you were deployed.
USERRA requires employers to pay deployed service members a bonus that is seniority based, and also any bonus that all employees were entitled to receive even if they were out on furlough or leave.
Since this bonus was based on actually showing up, not based on seniority, and employees out of the office working at home or on leave were not eligible, you would not be eligible, even under USERRA.
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2011-title20-vol3/CFR-2011-title20-vol3-sec1002-150
And you weren't there at all because you were deployed.
USERRA requires employers to pay deployed service members a bonus that is seniority based, and also any bonus that all employees were entitled to receive even if they were out on furlough or leave.
Since this bonus was based on actually showing up, not based on seniority, and employees out of the office working at home or on leave were not eligible, you would not be eligible, even under USERRA.
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2011-title20-vol3/CFR-2011-title20-vol3-sec1002-150
Official Publications from the U.S. Government Publishing Office.
Suspended Profile
Thank you SGM. Clarification on bonuses is what I was looking for.
IMHO, since you were not there for most of 2020 as you were deployed, then you are not eligible for the bonus paid to those that showed up for work. Key words are "required to work in person from March though December of 2020" and "I was in Iraq, Kuwait, and on terminal leave during just shy of all of 2020." If you didn't show up to work, then I am not sure how you would rate to receive the bonus.
Please tell me this is some sort of "igotcha" post. You were not physically at work from March thru December of 2020 as you stated your were deployed. I'm not exactly sure what your third paragraph has to do with this question. My interpretation is that because you believe you have a good working relationship, you believe you should have received the bonus. Come on Chief, you have to know thats not how this works.
If im interpreting this whole post correctly, you believe your deployed time to include terminal leave is justification for the federal bonus?
If im interpreting this whole post correctly, you believe your deployed time to include terminal leave is justification for the federal bonus?
SSG (Join to see)
That’s literally not how that works. You were deployed which means you were activated which means at that present time, in the eyes of the federal government, you were not their employee. Just because you would have been at work doesn’t mean you were are work which means you are not entitled to the bonus. That’s like saying I was in the same room as a person who won the lottery but I’m not getting anything .CW3 Matt Tait
CPT Jerry Lucas
CW3 Matt Tait - They WOULD HAVE paid you a bonus had you actually been at your civilian job and not on active duty.
SFC Kelly Fuerhoff
CW3 Matt Tait - You were on active orders and deployed for the Army - so you weren't working for your company. You were working for the military. So no you aren't entitled to a bonus. Yes had you not been deployed you'd have been at work, but you weren't. I don't know why you're confused or think you are owed money for something you didn't do.
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