Frontline workers could receive bonus payments or time off for efforts during pandemic

“We want to reflect the contribution that people have made during Covid-19, particularly frontline workers."

Frontline workers could receive bonus payments or time off as a reward for working during Covid-19, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. Speaking in New York, the Taoiseach stated that the government wants to reflect the contribution that frontline workers, including those in retail, made amid the pandemic. Martin added that Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath has been engaging with trade unions regarding this. https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1441071627719090177 “We want to reflect the contribution that people have made during Covid-19, particularly frontline workers," the Taoiseach said. "Those frontline workers have been in many sectors, not least in retail, for example, right from the beginning and commencement of the pandemic." Martin said rewarding frontline workers for their efforts will be "challenging" but is something the government is "working towards energetically and proactively". Asked if frontline workers would receive a monetary reward, the Taoiseach declined to go into specific details but stated it could be a "combination of approaches", including potentially monetary rewards or time in lieu. He said more details regarding rewards for frontline staff will be released on Budget 2022 day next month. Main image via Don Pollard / Rolling News