During this horrific and tragic pandemic that is COVID-19, many UCLA students and Administration have turned to online instruction and remote work. However, for many student, contract and professional staff, these COVID-19 exposure reducing tactics are not an option. UCLA must compensate their staff Hazard Pay during these times. 

Many students, contract staff and professional staff (that work on campus) are working in extreme circumstances for low wages relative to the risk of COVID-19 exposure they face daily. 

Many student employees, who work on campus during this pandemic to selflessly promote and support their UCLA community, are undertaking an exponential risk to their health and safety to serve their UCLA community and maintain campus services. These students are exposed to upwards of 300 students daily, tremendously increasing their risk for COVID-19, for merely 15$ or less an hour (pay varies by role).

Contract employees working in Maintenance, Dining, Housing and etc are also at horrific risk of exposure. They risk exposure not only during their working hours, but also in their personal travel to and from campus. 

Residential Directors whom's homes are within the Hill's residential communities are expected to work and serve directly with a multitude of students, risking exposure every day. 

These employees do not have the privilege of working remotely to ensure and promote their safety. The very honest reality is that these employees, of whom have roles that are imperative to the structural integrity of our UCLA campus, are actively risking their health daily. 

We need to advocate for our campus employees. Without them, UCLA would have never achieved the success and prestige it upholds today. How UCLA compensates these workers financially will directly define UCLA's understanding of their own True Bruin Values: Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Service and Excellence. 

According to the US Department of Labor:

"Hazard pay means additional pay for performing hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship. Work duty that causes extreme physical discomfort and distress which is not adequately alleviated by protective devices is deemed to impose a physical hardship. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not address the subject of hazard pay, except to require that it be included as part of a federal employee's regular rate of pay in computing the employee's overtime pay."

Here is the link to the US Department of Labor's definition as quoted above: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/hazardpay