Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation that gives approximately 70,000 California workers a retention bonus of up to $1,500. Newsom approved the legislation in a $1.1 billion deal with state legislators. The goal is to improve the state’s ability to stabilize and retain a workforce of critical employees.
The one-time payment will go to health care workers responsible for providing frontline services. The financial stipend represents both a retention bonus for health care workers and an acknowledgement of the sacrifices they made and dedication they showed during the pandemic.
The money is available to employees of eligible hospitals, clinics, and skilled nursing facilities. For a health care worker to qualify for a retention bonus, they must be employed at least part-time during the eligibility period. This runs from July 30, 2022, through October 28, 2022.
According to the Department of Health Care Services, the health care worker’s employer or covered entity must submit an application that lists eligible employees by December 30, 2022. Workers should begin receiving their payments in early 2023.
How much money will health care workers receive under the Staffing Stabilization bonus program?
The United Healthcare Workers West says the amount of money a health care worker will receive depends on the number of hours they work and some additional factors. Here’s how the funding breaks down:
- Eligible full-time health care workers will receive a $1,000 bonus.
- Eligible part-time health care workers will receive a $750 bonus.
- There is a potential added $500 bonus if the state matches a bonus provided by the employer. The state is still developing the details of this bonus-matching program and will announce the requirements at a later date.
Learn about programs that give Californians cash and other funding
Local and state agencies have developed programs aimed at giving money and other support to various groups of California residents. We’ve written about these programs in these articles:
- One guaranteed income program gives San Diego families $500 a month for two years.
- In Santa Clara, the government is giving $1,000 a month to homeless high school seniors.
- The state of California is helping families by giving all school children free meals.
What do you think about government programs giving money to workers, individuals, and families?
Is this a good use of taxpayer funds? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section. And if you appreciate this content, please follow, like, and share with others. Thank you for reading!
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