Raise of minimum wages: What should happen and why By Chief: Strong-Blood

A The proceeding is a short scholarly article on the proper way to go about raising the minimum wage and the effects of not following this prescription.

Recently, in California, the state government took it upon themselves to raise the minimum wage to: fifteen dollars and fifty cents ($15.50) per hour. Which was quite overdue. when you considered the cost of living in California is so high. The truth is fifteen ($15.50) dollars and fifty cents per hour, cannot allow a person with one job to live in California. With this fifteen ($15.50) and fifty cents increase in the hourly minimum wage, workers experienced a two ($2. 50) fifty cents increased; which represented a twenty-one (21.5 %) point five percent increase or there about, in their basic or starting hourly wages.

What was troubling is: the people who are in the government administration and the union administration, clearly do not understand what exactly should happen, when there is a raise in the minimum wages.

What happened California and what is the common practice was, people who had several years working experience, with an organization and were the beneficiary of the yearly increment, for each year worked with a particular organization, which acted like a partition, which differentiates between the different levels of worker service, with their respective company and or organization. The way the California state government went about raising the minimum wage, in California broke down that partition.

The importance of the increment partition.

The current system put everyone, who made about fifteen dollars and fifty cents of less, on the same hourly rate. Those minimum wage workers, who made above the new hourly rate; did not benefit; even though they were considered minimum wage workers. As a result; the new and other workers, who did not contribute the same amount of years in service to the organization as the longstanding workers did; crept up very close to or on the same pay scale of those longstanding workers.

The method the state used, in going about raising the minimum wage, reduces the value of the contribution, made to the organizations, by long standing workers and puts little or no value, to the number of years, of service they gave to their respective company. As a result, the incremental partition was clearly demolished. This is wrong and it will sure leave long standing and or established workers felt undervalued.

The only thing this did, was to germinate the seeds of discontentment and resentment among those long-standing workers. Such an emotional response is natural and expected. let us not forget, we are dealing with people and everyone has a need to feel valued and needed, whether they are needed and valued or not.

The new workers who did not make a significant contributed to the company, are receiving the same pay as those who, contributed for 10 years, or there about; as one of my friends have. As in the case of my friend, that person feels undervalued, un-valued, unappreciated and demotivated.

Here is the problem with the hotel industries, in Los Angeles California. The method used by the state government, in implementing, the raise of the minimum wage, was responsible for and watered the seeds of discontentment; among minimum wage workers, which germinated and blossomed into full blown:

1. Demand for more monies, A further raise in the minimum wage.

2. Public protest

3. A partial strike

These are the current actions and demand by the hotel workers; who are calling for respect. Let us not forget; these are the workers, who clean the hotel rooms and do other non-skill laborer work in the hotel industries. lest we forget, these same workers were quite contented with the old minimum wage that paid them less monies just a few years ago.

However, with the raise of the minimum wage and the tearing down of the increment partitions, these workers who a few years ago, were satisfied workers, become discontented. This is so because their current situation makes them feel un-valued and unappreciated.

This is what happens when people invest several years of their lives into a company and they feel like their investment in the company was and is not valued by the company. Years of their lives they can never get back or reinvest.

Decision makers, in all strata of society, needs to be mindful, each law, business policies and other rules implemented, for the better running of their city, state, company etc. These instruments affect real people, with real feelings, and real emotions. Every one of us has needs and we all have a need to be valued and appreciated. Hence the reason most companies have the increment system.

The increment system, is a small reward given to workers, in lull or in the absence of a promotion. The small yearly increment, tells the worker, we are happy and we appreciate the fact, you stayed within our employ for a year.

What should happen when a government raises the minimum wage?

A raise in the minimum wage is a raise of pay for all minimum wage workers. because most minimum wage, often raises by a couple of dollars, it must be viewed as a percentage raise. For example, in California in 2022 when the Sate raise the minimum waged; by two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) increase per hour represented twenty-point five (20.5%) percent or there about increase.

Although such should represent a twenty-point five (20.5%) percent increase in the hourly minimum wage; it may not be practical to raise every minimum wage worker's salary by the same percentage. To do such may cause added stress especially on struggling business.

However, to ensure you do not discount or devalue the service of workers who have given years of service to the institution and or business, at the lease everyone should be given a dollar increase in salary. A dollar increase is the exact figure by which the minimum wage was increased. In the case of California that will be a $2.50 increase upon the salary of every worker who falls in the minimum wage bracket.

What does this do?

1. This is less expense for employers than to give a percentage increase across the board.

2. It maintains the exact incremental partition among workers.

3. It dispels the possibility of discontentment with the company

4. Workers are happier because they are able to take home more monies.

It is of paramount importance, there be maintained, the increment partition, within the salary structure among employees; which distinguished between: new workers and long standing whose long service, yielded them, the benefit of the yearly incremental raise in their salaries. This has several benefits, to the smooth running of the organization and or company's operations. Some such benefits are as follows:

1. It denotes a clear line of seniority among staff in the same level.

2. It motivates long standing/senior staff, to be more responsible in the company's interest.

3. It creates harmonious spontaneous mentorship programs.

4. It also provides the environment where juniors are comfortable to consult with senior staff of the same level. freeing up supervisors and management to deal with more important issues.

With a little bit of thoughtfulness all the stress and discontentment could have been avoided. In addition to that if hoteliers exercised a little foresight and consideration, when they applied the new state minimum wage. Instead of griping, about the increase they were required to give, they should have shown just a little consideration to their workers. If they did, they would have saved themselves, the stresses of the industrial disputes they are now faced with.

Sign. The Chief: StrongBlood

F.K.A. Allan H. F. Palmer