Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
Experts addressed issues concerning wage theft and immigrant worker’s rights on EMS briefing on April 22. They discussed in detail on the new LA County Hero Pay for essential workers and anti-retaliation protections.
According to the LA County website, employees of retail grocery stores, retail drug stores, and large retail stores with a grocery or drug store component located in the unincorporated area of the County will earn $5 an hour in “Hero Pay” due to COVID-19, in addition to their base wages. Employees covered by the Hero Pay Ordinance begin earning Hero Pay at 12:00 a.m. on February 26, 2021, and will continue earning Hero Pay for each hour worked for 120 days.
Rigo Reyes, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs emphasized that regardless of the immigration status, as long as the employer is unfairly retaliated against, they have the right to report; of course, they also have the right to receive hero wages. “We are the home of immigrants to receive information. Do not be afraid of immigration consequences for claiming that your hours are not paid”.
Rose Basmadzhyan, head of the Wage Enforcement Program Division of the Department of Business and Consumer Affairs, said that to protect workers and in response to COVID-19, the Board of Supervisors has passed three ordinances.
One of them is the public health anti-retaliation ordinance to prevent retaliation by reporting public health violations, and covers everyone who works in the county except for cities that have their own health department.
A temporary ordinance that has been in the recent news is the Hero Pay (payment to the hero) that requires paying no less than $ 5 per hour as compensation for risk in addition to base salary, and applies to employees of large retail and drug stores, “The employee can receive an extra $ 5 per hour, but must request it in writing; and the employer must post the employee’s rights in a highly visible place in the business. This information is free of charge on our website ”. She emphasized that companies must abide by the law in any case and must pay an additional five dollars per hour, otherwise it is illegal. Any employer who violates the ordinance is liable for civil penalties up to $1,000 for each violation.
Yvonne Medrano, Program Attorney, Employee Rights Program, Bet Tzedek Legal Services said, “most employees are treated in a retaliatory manner, but they are afraid to inform their employers. Due to the pandemic, in order to survive, most of the employees were treated with retaliatory treatment.
File a “Hero Pay” Complaint: If you believe your employer is not paying the mandated temporary “Hero Pay”, Phone: 800.593.8222, Email: heropay@dcba.lacounty.gov
During Mayor Eric Garcetti’s COVID-19 briefing last week, he spoke about his support for the ordinance. “I absolutely 100% support the hero pay for our grocery workers, and with any good conscience, it shouldn’t raise food prices because grocery stores are one area that have record profits, more money than they’ve had before,” Garcetti said. “I hope they will see this and maybe be inspired by it instead of being threatened by it.
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