Every since this pandemic started, grocery workers, healthcare workers, postal workers etc across the country have been through the midst of it all. However we’re grateful to have been working through this tough time, because we know millions of people were laid off or depending on occupation, had the opportunity to work from home. Essential workers however didn't have that option to work from home. We had to be at work or risk losing our jobs by not showing up or even calling in consecutively. Dealing with a virus that was new to us all. None of us knew how to prepare for this. None of us knew what to expect from this. We all have families to go to after work each day . With concerns of being in close contact with customers daily. We feared every day coming home to our wives, children, brothers and sisters with chances of spreading the virus to them. We had to endure days whereas co-workers were being tested positive for Covid and due to privacy concerns, we never knew who. Can you imagine how nerve racking it would be to get a text saying, this individual tested positive for covid and records show you have been in constant contact with this individual? The extra $2 on our hourly wage was deeply appreciated. My employer did extensions on it, which was very considerate. However when you refer to someone as "essential" that means a great deal of significance. That's not something that should be said just to make somebody feel good. There has to be some significant compensation when the term "essential" is  being used to refer to human beings. Like I stated, we appreciated the that extra $2 on our hourly pay. That was more like a pat on the back and saying "good job". The term "essential" which means: that of necessity "indispensable things" ; of the greatest importance; "absolutely necessary; vitally necessary". And to be candid, seeing the amount of money being administered to unemployment benefits, we get the feeling of ‘ what about us? I ain’t knocking I know folks need that check, but we need ours too Uncle Sam. What about your essential nephews and nieces? So with all that being said I think we essential employees deserve to be compensated handsomely for the hard work we put in and most definitely for working through the early stages of the the pandemic when everything was chaotic and yes it was chaotic. The tissue and bleach thing was the craziest thing I ever seen. Being around hundreds of people daily is very scary when every time you look on the news of how many people dying from this virus. Yes we have a vaccine now, but I'm speaking  more on that first 8-10 months when all we had was a cloth to put over our face and some gloves. So we not asking for nothing less of what we deserve. We holding Congress accountable for the term they used to describe us  essential employees(ESSENTIAL) That $2 premium didn't do anything, but sparingly compensate for the reduced hours we received, because its not like we was working 5 day 8hr workweeks. It was more like 4 day 4hr maybe 5hr workweeks. Not being ungrateful, but that doesn't equivalent to "essential" We need to be awarded with a $10,000 check in full. We deserve it with no questions asked. Just need for Congress /House/Senate to make this happen. A pat on the back and telling how much you appreciate us is not essential. Cut the check and show us how vitally necessary we are. Cause we essential employees "essential" right? So it's absolutely vital that you show us how of great importance we are. Thank you for your time.            Sincerely, All essentialworkers across the country.