Nov. 01, 2021
HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday that his administration will be giving employees under his jurisdiction an additional five days of paid leave to be used between Dec. 20, 2021, and March 31, 2022, for showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination. If the five accrued days are not used, administration employees will be paid out the remainder of the leave time in a lump sum payment.
The Treasury Department has estimated the plan will cost more than $100 million.
In response to the plan, Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) made the following statement:
“The Wolf administration’s plan to charge taxpayers an estimated $100 million to give most state employees cash payments or a paid week-long COVID vaccine holiday is not only fiscally irresponsible but is tone-deaf.
“The same administration that, without notice, permanently ended thousands of Pennsylvania jobs and shuttered mom-and-pop stores across the Commonwealth with its ill-advised and overbroad economic shutdown is now forcing many of those same individuals to finance this week-long paid vacation or cash payouts for the governor’s employees who received a COVID-19 vaccination.
“Pennsylvania taxpayers deserve better and those who have suffered financial devastation as a result of this administration’s destructive unilateral action are due an explanation as to why they are struggling to make ends meet while funding additional vacation time for the governor’s employees.”
Representative Kerry Benninghoff
Pennsylvania House Majority Leader
171st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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