By Anna Jean Kaiser
Miami Herald, Sep 29, 2022
Florida’s minimum wage will increase to $11 an hour on Friday, the second boost in a series of annual raises that will eventually bring it to $15 an hour. The pay raise is a result of an amendment to the Florida Constitution that 61% of voters approved in a 2020 ballot measure. ...
Some business associations fought the change ... while others campaigned for it. Jennifer Todd, the owner of LMS General Contractors based in Pompano Beach, is a member of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a national coalition of business owners that campaigns for minimum wage increases. Todd has 10 employees and said she welcomes the increase. ...
"Our wages have been above minimum wage and we keep up with increases to make sure we’re staying competitive,” she said. “It’s long overdue. Living in Miami is expensive and I don’t want employees worrying about not being able to pay their bills or put food on the table. If you want your business to excel, your employees have to value their work and be paid fairly.”
Todd said that businesses should embrace the change and make a strategic plan for wage increases.
“Increasing labor costs is something you inevitably deal with all the time as a business owner. Cost of living and inflation will always go up,” she said. “I would hope they want to retain the best workers and if you want to put out the best product or service, why wouldn’t you want to pay workers fairly?”