Some Bartholomew County workers to receive bonuses for work during pandemic

Bartholomew County will be giving bonuses to government employees who continued to work in person during the pandemic to assist the public.

Bartholomew County Commissioners yesterday approved the plan for premium pay to some employees to be paid from American Rescue Plan funds.

Commissioners President Larry Kleinhenz said the goal and approved use of the ARP funds is to reward those county employees who were put in harm’s way during the pandemic. The idea is to provide bonuses for those like sheriff’s deputies, jail officers, highway workers and health department workers who continued to assist the public directly last year.

The funds were restricted from being used to give bonuses to employees who had the ability to work remotely. Instead, it required that the essential work had to be done while interacting directly with patients, the public or coworkers.

County Commissioner Tony London said the money is a token of appreciation from the community to those workers.

Eligible full-time employees will get $1,500 under the plan approved Monday. Part-time employees will receive $750. The money will be distributed on Friday, Dec. 17th.

The money will not go to elected officials, nor to former employees no longer with the county.

The total cost will be almost $376,000 dollars.