Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, said Monday that the state government will be giving a $1,000 retention pay year-end bonus to more than 300,000 state employees, teachers and school support staff.
Around 112,000 eligible, full-time state and university employees will receive their $1,000 by the end of the year while school districts will determine when the roughly 196,000 teachers and school support staff across the state will receive the bonus.
Elected officials and judges will not be receiving the year-end payment.
“Given how hard these men and women have worked to serve Georgians during the pandemic, to help keep our community safe, and to help make the state government more streamlined and efficient, this seems wholly appropriate to me,” Kemp said at the Georgia State Capitol on Monday.
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The Kemp administration said it is still reviewing whether it will propose permanent pay raises in the upcoming budget, although the governor and top Republican state lawmakers are beginning to suggest that they expect permanent pay increases. Lawmakers delivered $7,000 in pay raises for state and university employees, and teachers during Kemp’s time as the state’s top executive.
The nearly $330 million in overall bonuses will come out of the current year’s budget and lawmakers will approve the money in a budget amendment when they return to the legislature in January. The bonus is slated to appear in employees’ last paycheck in December.
“It’s going to be a good Christmas and New Year here in Georgia,” Kemp said. “And there’s more good news coming in the weeks and months ahead. So, stay tuned.”
The bonus, which is expected to be an incentive for teachers and employees to hold their current jobs, comes after Georgia Department of Education data from earlier this year showed statewide teacher retention has dropped for the last two years.
“We have heard from…
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