AgdaPkt 2021.04.12 Joint SA PFA - Complete Agenda Packet

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8.A. - Page 2 of 73 expire on July 11, 2021. The substantive provisions of the two ordinances are the same. July 11 was selected as an expiration date as staff anticipates this would provide enough time for the covered grocery store and drugstore employees to be vaccinated. In San Mateo County, vaccinations of this group began on February 22, 2021. The proposed draft ordinance would require large grocery stores and large drugstores that employ 750 or more employees nationwide to pay temporary "hazard pay" in the amount of $5.00 per hour to their public -facing employees working through the COVID-19 pandemic. Many cities and counties throughout the state have or are currently considering the adoption of hazard pay ordinances, and include the Cities of Berkeley, Concord, Long Beach, Oakland, Pomona, San Francisco, San Jose, San Leandro, Santa Ana, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood. In San Mateo County, the Cities of Daly City, Millbrae, San Mateo, and South San Francisco have adopted hazard pay ordinances, while the cities of Belmont and San Carlos, and the County of San Mateo have considered but not adopted hazard pay ordinances. A more thorough comparison of cities in San Mateo County and their hazard pay criteria are included in Attachment C. The basis for this ordinance is that grocery store and drugstore workers are essential workers and have continued to report to work and serve their communities, despite the ongoing hazards and danger of being exposed to and infected by the novel coronavirus, helping to ensure the community throughout Redwood City have had access to the food they need during this pandemic. Many of these grocery store workers face high turnover since their role as an essential worker has meant longer hours and increased exposure to the novel coronavirus, and they now have added responsibilities of disinfecting stores, enforcing social distancing, and monitoring mask wearing amongst their customers (Attachment D). In a study published by the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Journal, 20% of grocery store workers at a Boston store tested positive for COVID-19, and of those positive cases, 76% were asymptomatic. While most were wearing masks at work (91%), they were only able to practice social distancing about 66% of the time while at work (Attachments E and F). These articles and studies highlight why frontline workers should be justly compensated for the clear and present dangers of doing their jobs during the pandemic, as further described in the ordinance recitals. As some of the largest grocery stores have made record profits during the pandemic, it is more equitable to distribute a portion of their increased profits to their frontline workers who have risked their own health to serve their community. Moreover, COVID-19 case positivity rates have been steadily rising in Redwood City over the last five months, from about 250 per 10,000 residents testing positive for COVID- 19 in early December 2020, rising dramatically to 516 per 10,000 residents in late January 2021, to 623 per 10,000 residents in early April 2021. The City Council adopted a resolution proclaiming a local emergency caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on March 12, 2020 via Resolution No. 15827. ANALYSIS There are a number of policy items that need to be considered, and the key provisions of the ordinance include the following: The Amount of Hazard Pay Consistent with other ordinances adopted to date in San Mateo County, the ordinance has been drafted to provide for a $5.00 per hour pay increment. The ordinance provides for a credit against this amount Page 2 of 8 1 S11 City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.org 361