Arrangement guarantees workers’ pay if sick with pandemic

Florence city council made a commitment to city employees Monday, approving a plan to pay employees’ salaries if they contract COVID-19 or another pandemic in the future.

“It’s a good thing for the employees,” councilman Matt Williams said. “It shows our employees that we’re looking after them.”

The plan needs legal approval, so there are likely to be some changes before final authorization, he said.

In the draft, exotic travel, like taking a cruise during a mass viral outbreak, would exclude employees from receiving benefits.

Florence already has salaries for its workers budgeted, so there aren’t many extra expenses to consider, Williams said.

“We have a good idea of how much each employee’s man-hours cost the city,” he said. “The only additional cost would be if we need to hire somebody to temporarily fill in.”