Entrepreneurs Herald, Dec 16, 2021
Kristen Deptula and her husband bought the Canalside Inn in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, in October 2019, with little clue that the summer season would be primarily a bust owing to Covid-19.
The innkeepers were able to get support from the federal government through the Paycheck Protection Program. Deptula also attributes another move —providing their employees a $15 per hour minimum wage — to the company's ability to weather the pandemic.
That wage is far more than the state's current minimum wage of $9.25 per hour. Deptula, a native of Washington state, had seen the higher rate work in Seattle.
Deptula explained, "It was just something I thought was a decent practice." ...
It Is Vital Tool For Recovery
Nonetheless, organizations such as Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a network of businesses, owners, and executives, applaud the Delaware decision.
People can't afford the necessities when the cost of living rises, according to Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair MinimumWage. The main issue, she explained, is that businesses require clients who can buy their goods and services. ...
The Delaware Restaurant Association pushed for a one-year delay in the state's minimum wage to give restaurants and other small businesses more time to recoup from income losses caused by Covid-19. The bill, however, was passed without that adjustment.
The minimum wage was first enacted to help the suffering economy during the Great Depression, according to Barron-Menza.
“As we continue to emerge from the pandemic in this present economy, we need that same type of boost,” Barron-Menza added. “When working people can't afford even the most basic necessities, it's awful for business and communities.” ...