NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A new grant offering added pay for essential workers will be available on January 9 starting at 8:00 a.m. The Bernalillo County Premium Pay for Eligible Employees Grant will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
The county is using $5 million in relief funds to give employees who worked in areas deemed as critical to the health and well-being of its residents, according to a Bernalillo County press release. Organizations that qualify for this grant include for and nonprofit businesses that employ workers making up to $20 an hour or less, not including tip wages in any of the following places of work:
- health care
- emergency response
- sanitation
- disinfection and cleaning
- maintenance
- grocery stores
- restaurants
- food production
- food delivery
- pharmacy
- biomedical research
- behavioral health
- medical testing and diagnostics
- home and community-based health care or assistance with activities of daily living, family, or childcare
- social services
- public health
- mortuary
- critical clinical research, development, and testing necessary for COVID-19 response
- educational, school nutrition, and other work required to operate a school facility
- laundry
- elections
- solid waste or hazardous materials management, response, and cleanup
- work requiring physical interaction with patients
- dental care
- transportation and warehousing
- hotel and commercial lodging facilities that are used for COVID-19 mitigation and containment
- other hotels with staff that meet the essential worker roles
Self-employed people who meet eligibility requirements will only be able to apply for up to $3,000 as the sole worker in their licensed business. More information is available online.
