By L. Kim Tan
Boston Globe, Dec 29, 2019
What can you buy for 75 cents – the boost in Massachusetts’ minimum hourly wage that takes effect Wednesday? ... over a working day the difference between the 2019 minimum of $12 an hour and 2020’s $12.75 is enough to pay for a nutritious lunch.
Raising the minimum wage is a big deal.
People generally agree workers should be paid a decent wage, but what’s reasonable is subject to interpretation. A statutory minimum sets the standard, or at least the floor, and many employers support it. “Massachusetts is ringing in the New Year with a minimum wage raise, and that’s great news for business and the economy,” Holly Sklar, chief executive of the Business for a Fair Minimum Wage group advocating for more than 300 business owners across the state, said in a release.
“It’s vital to remember that workers are also customers, and minimum wage increases boost the buying power of people living paycheck to paycheck. Minimum wage raises also pay off in lower employee turnover, reduced hiring and training costs, lower error rates, better productivity and happier customers,” she said. ...
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