On November 13th, US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Kristi Noem announced that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees who demonstrated “excellence” during the government shutdown period will receive a $10,000 bonus.
Noem held a press conference and delivered a speech at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where she personally handed out bonus checks to nearly 20 TSA employees. She mentioned that more TSA employees will be receiving bonuses in recognition of their efforts.
“This means that not only will we continue to pay them their deserved wages, but we will also reward them with bonuses for their dedication, overtime work, and commitment to showing up every day,” she said.
“We will not only continue to recognize employees across the country, but will also focus on every TSA employee who contributed during the government shutdown period, doing our best to acknowledge their hard work and offer bonuses to help them and their families through tough times,” Noem added.
The secretary revealed that in the past six weeks, “thousands of individuals have stepped up to continue providing service for everyone.”
She did not provide specific qualifications for TSA employees to receive bonuses, nor did she disclose how many employees would be receiving bonuses. When asked if the bonus recipients were those who did not take sick leave or stayed home for other reasons, Noem stated, “That is not necessarily how we are judging.”
Noem also expressed, “During the government shutdown, thousands of people made extraordinary contributions, and we are very grateful that it finally ended after 43 days.”
“We will pay attention to every employee who made outstanding contributions during such a challenging period,” she said.