[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”536″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is stuck in the past and that’s bad for business.
Set at $7.25 an hour since 2009, Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is lower than all six of our neighboring states.
Our state minimum wage, which amounts to just $15,080 a year for full-time work, is a drag on Pennsylvania’s customer base, tax base and economy.
I own the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, a multi-venue arts and entertainment complex, which includes The Kitchen & Gallery Bar, a 150-seat restaurant.
We won the 2016 Tourism Business of the Year award from the Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau. Paying fair wages has been a big part of our success.
While Pennsylvania’s minimum wage has stagnated at $7.25 for eight years, at HMAC we’ve raised our starting pay because it’s vital for our employees and good for our business. Our starting pay is currently $12 for employees who don’t earn tips.
Tipped staff earn an average $18 to $25-an-hour with tips.
In the service industry, staff turnover is typically very high – as much as 100 percent a year or higher.
This low pay, high churn business model is actually very costly – businesses are constantly training new staff and starting the process over again when someone leaves to make a little bit more someplace else.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Continue Reading
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]