07-02-2008, 12:39 PM
Ask. If they don't tell you, take your money somewhere else. It can be surprising who does and does not. If the wages are low, but they offer health care, that can mean a great deal. Of course the definition of a living wage is plastic, but if you use the one you would apply to yourself, I don't think you'll make many mistakes.
I think the notion that paying the "prevailing wage" makes economic sense is complete bunk. Most of the most successful businesses I've ever seen, and certainly most profitable, paid VERY good wages. A good example locally might be "Ken's," which obviously turns a buck or two, and has happy staff some of which has waited tables there for 2 decades. I don't know island businesses well enough to suggest too many more, but I'm sure some of you all do, and this thread would be a VERY GOOD place to bring those sorts of places to light.
Good help isn't worth double, but more, than a flunky. The 80/20 rule proven over and over again, that 20 percent of people in any production environment do 80 percent of the work. I'm certain that is the case. Part of building community is finding out those people, and fairly rewarding them for the real service they apply. They're around.
Traditionally, I will point out, that temporary or "part-time" labor usually pays MORE, rather than less, to the worker, as there's obviously no assumption of responsibility of the employer to keep people employed. That is, of course, still the same in industry, but the worker doesn't get the difference, the temp agency does. It's only been relatively recently that people would consider that part time help is worth LESS. If you think about it, it's pretty nonsensical, and I'd love to see that change as well.
I think the notion that paying the "prevailing wage" makes economic sense is complete bunk. Most of the most successful businesses I've ever seen, and certainly most profitable, paid VERY good wages. A good example locally might be "Ken's," which obviously turns a buck or two, and has happy staff some of which has waited tables there for 2 decades. I don't know island businesses well enough to suggest too many more, but I'm sure some of you all do, and this thread would be a VERY GOOD place to bring those sorts of places to light.
Good help isn't worth double, but more, than a flunky. The 80/20 rule proven over and over again, that 20 percent of people in any production environment do 80 percent of the work. I'm certain that is the case. Part of building community is finding out those people, and fairly rewarding them for the real service they apply. They're around.
Traditionally, I will point out, that temporary or "part-time" labor usually pays MORE, rather than less, to the worker, as there's obviously no assumption of responsibility of the employer to keep people employed. That is, of course, still the same in industry, but the worker doesn't get the difference, the temp agency does. It's only been relatively recently that people would consider that part time help is worth LESS. If you think about it, it's pretty nonsensical, and I'd love to see that change as well.