Fayetteville approves extra pay for vaccinated employees

Fayetteville is using federal COVID-19 relief funds to offer premium pay to all employees and give $1,000 incentive payments to those who are vaccinated. The City Council approved the measure 5-0 on Oct. 7, and the payments will be delivered starting Oct. 21. Chief Financial Officer Mike Bush said the city considers all of its workers to be essential, given that they worked remotely to conduct necessary business while City Hall was closed under Gov. Brian Kemp’s executive order in 2020.

The premium pay will be up to $13 an hour above an employee’s regular rate. The total cost of the premium program will be $493,253, of which $237,215 will be paid for by ARPA funds and the remaining $93,936 will come from the city’s general fund. The incentive payments for vaccinated employees will cost the city $157,000, all of which is paid for by the ARPA grant. Employees who get vaccinated by Dec. 31 will receive their payments later.