The problem is essential workers, such as grocery-store clerks, delivery workers and those in the medical field: If a large number quit, it could leave crucial industries short of labor https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-04-02/cororavirus-unemployment-insurance-isn-t-ideal-to-help-workers

Employees in critical industries deserve better treatment.

The obvious response is to raise wages. Either that, or allow laid-off workers to collect pandemic unemployment benefits in addition to salary if they go back to work in an essential industry https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-04-02/cororavirus-unemployment-insurance-isn-t-ideal-to-help-workers?srnd=opinion

The bill hurts efforts to hire more help:

Workers who leave high-touch jobs in restaurants and retail have little incentive to seek new jobs in groceries and delivery since they will see their pay dramatically increase under their unemployment benefits https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-04-02/essential-workers-deserve-more-pay-than-non-essential-non-workers

As more workers go on unemployment and see their incomes rise as a result, resentment among essential employees will grow.

Not only are they being asked to do more without the additional assistance that they need, but they face a financial disadvantage https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-04-02/essential-workers-deserve-more-pay-than-non-essential-non-workers

Essential workers don’t deserve this second-rate treatment.

As the pandemic unfolds, the government is going to experience lots of unintended consequences. Legislators must constantly adapt, learn and fix holes https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-04-02/essential-workers-deserve-more-pay-than-non-essential-non-workers