Feb. 26, 2021 -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has passed an ordinance requiring grocery stores and pharmacies to pay an extra $5 per hour in “hero pay” to front-line employees working during the coronavirus pandemic.

The order will be in effect for at least 120 days and will cover about 2,000 employees in the unincorporated part of the county, according to a news release from Board Chair Hilda L. Solis.

“These workers, many of whom include older adults and single mothers, have put their lives on the line since the beginning of the pandemic to keep our food supply chain running and provide access to medicine our families need,” Solis said. “Many are working in fear and without adequate financial support, while their employers continue to see profits grow and top executives receive steep pay bonuses.”