Unpaid wages are currently a superpriority. Unpaid wages that go essentially up to a maximum are automatically provided a superpriority in both a restructuring and a liquidation context. As I indicated last week, for unfunded wages, in the case of a liquidation or a restructuring, the federal government actually takes the spot of the employee to be able to pay them out immediately and then allow for the restructuring or liquidation to continue. Ultimately, the government would be recouped the portion that's currently a superpriority, which is $2,000.
I'm looking at Mr. Morrison to make sure that I'm correct on that. He's nodding yes. That's excellent.
Under the wage earner protection program, the employee is able to get paid severance up to $7,200. As I said, it's a superpriority.
This would essentially take severance more generally and apply a superpriority to it. Severance goes well beyond unpaid wages. It also includes potential severance payments and things like separation payments. In some cases, as we've indicated, that may actually be subject to that of executives. If the severance is actually a very large portion of the employee pay packet in terms of a separation piece, that would now be subject to a superpriority.
There's no delineation in this piece of legislation between the two. There's no cap on it. There's no discussion of that in severance pay.