[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

If it's as simple as cutting hours-- Why don't they do it now and increase profits? Are the additional hours needed or some kind of charity?

Longer checkout lines.

[Mr_250]

Originally Posted by RogerAnthony

I think that there should be some exceptions to the minimum wage law. Businesses with a smaller number of employees, say fewer than 6, should be exempt. Also, anyone under age 18 should be exempt from being paid minimum wage. This would make it possible for small, locally owned businesses to survive and for teenagers to get work experience.

Agree. But you cannot discriminate based on age. What you explained above is common sense thinking and should be implemented. Min. wage paid jobs are for teenagers to gain experience and move up. They are not a careers. They are jobs. I feel in the end that this will hurt everyone, even those who are getting this raise. Since it is universal EVERY establishment will have to raise there rates which means all the raise is doing is causing inflation and thus offsetting the raise they just got. Right back to square one. Like politics, nothing was accomplished.

What people don't understand is what was mentioned above. More taxes/hr the EMPLOYER has to pay. I think this raise is a ploy to raise more money for the State. The more a person makes per hour the more income tax they owe. Good job CT!

[LRPct]

Wow. An amazing $1.40 total increase almost 3 years away, 2017. Please excuse me if I dont fall in line with all the apocalyptic predictions of small businesses closing down left and right and not being able to find any assistance in my grocery store. Pretty sure my local McD burgers wont be getting close to that $15 a piece anytime soon seeing as it has had a starting rate of almost $11 an hour for years now being that around this area thats what you need to do just to fill the position. Theres plenty of small business around here as well and Ive only seen/heard of one closing around here in the past few years.

If the extra $1.40 by 2017 kills a business, that business wont last very long anyway.

[Mr_250]

Originally Posted by LRPct

If the extra $1.40 by 2017 kills a business, that business wont last very long anyway.

Fun with Numbers.

Assumptions: Employer pays SS-6.2% and Medicare 1.45%
Current rate an employer pays for a min wage worker (cost) now is $9.42/Hr
2017 rate for minimum wage employee will cost $10.87/hr

ok, well that's ONLY $1.45 an hour increase in 3 years. No big deal right...

Example:
Store employees 5 min. wage workers for 8 hour shifts for 5 days a week (Standard 40hr week). Their COST will rise:
Per Day $58.00 (1.45/hr x 5 employees x 8 hours)
Per Week $290.00
Per Month $1,256.00
Per Year $15,080.00

Expect to see all products jump in price!

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by Mr_250

Expect to see all products jump in price!

as well as more self serve checkouts instead of cashiers. I notice more at Stop & Shop in Milford all the time, and fewer cashiers. Also, I'd expect self serve fast food kiosks by 2017. Applebee's Tablets nationally in 2014 will spread across all like chains.

[LRPct]

Originally Posted by Mr_250

Fun with Numbers.

Assumptions: Employer pays SS-6.2% and Medicare 1.45%
Current rate an employer pays for a min wage worker (cost) now is $9.42/Hr
2017 rate for minimum wage employee will cost $10.87/hr

ok, well that's ONLY $1.45 an hour increase in 3 years. No big deal right...

Example:
Store employees 5 min. wage workers for 8 hour shifts for 5 days a week (Standard 40hr week). Their COST will rise:
Per Day $58.00 (1.45/hr x 5 employees x 8 hours)
Per Week $290.00
Per Month $1,256.00
Per Year $15,080.00

Expect to see all products jump in price!

You basically made my point. $15k is nothing, especially with another 3 years of inflation and what should be normal COL increases. If its a business big/busy enough for 5 full time employees and you cant find $15k you should not be in business.

Still waiting on those $15 McD burgers.

At 6.5 million burgers sold per day at all locations it should actually be about a 21 cent increase in retail burger prices if keeping the increase strictly divided by burger sales.

[skel1977]

Just go on welfare, its tax free and pays more than minimum wage.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/09/02/on-labor-day-2013-welfare-pays-more-than-minimum-wage-work-in-35-states/

Not only that but you qualify for so much other assitance if you on welfare. Oh you are on welfare, i can put you on a special 60 dollar a month program for your electric no matter how many killowatts you use per month.

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by LRPct

You basically made my point. $15k is nothing, especially with another 3 years of inflation and what should be normal COL increases. If its a business big/busy enough for 5 full time employees and you cant find $15k you should not be in business.

Still waiting on those $15 McD burgers.

A business with 5 full time FTEs is most likely ( in service sector) doing 500K or less in sales. That is 3% of revenue. Its most likely at least 1/5th of all profits pre-tax now, and 1/3rd or more post tax.

That's huge, and anyone with business acumen doesn't sneeze at 3% of revenue going bye-bye without taking countermeasures, a/k/a ways to cut heads.

Realistically, that business should look for a way to get everything done with 4 employees.

[LRPct]

Originally Posted by bobtn

A business with 5 full time FTEs is most likely ( in service sector) doing 500K or less in sales. That is 3% of revenue. Its most likely at least 1/5th of all profits pre-tax now, and 1/3rd or more post tax.

That's huge, and anyone with business acumen doesn't sneeze at 3% of revenue going bye-bye without taking countermeasures, a/k/a ways to cut heads.

Realistically, that business should look for a way to get everything done with 4 employees.

3% nothing to sneeze at yes. 3% causing massive business closures and unemployment no. Again, if you cant find 3% youve failed already. 500k GR with 5 FULLTIME employees seems an awfully low average btw.

[CLees]

Lets just get a few things straight. From my experience, most good small businesses are already paying their employees this much. The ones who arent are corporate places for the most part like walmart and mcdonalds... If those businesses suffer it will not hurt my feelings one bit.

Washington and Oregon will almost definitely be raising their respective minimum wages to higher rates than this by 2017 so, in my opinion, were still behind.