Too often, hard work isn't enough. In New York City, 44% of all restaurant workers live below the poverty level.
The most often cited reasons for this include fierce competition, the high cost of doing business, and ever-changing trends. Yet, despite this, many successful restaurants do find a way to pay their employees a living wage and many more aspire to do so once their economics improve.
The Living Wage in NYC
Every person has a different perspective about what one must earn to survive. Generally, however, people accept that an individual, working full-time, should be able to cover basic expenses including food, shelter, clothing, and transportation.
In July 2006, NYC passed a living wage ordinance that established a minimum hourly wage of $10.00 with health benefits or $11.50 without. This is the standard adopted by Wage to Live.
Wage to Live Certified
All Wage To Live Certified restaurants must meet, at minimum the following standards:
Pay an average hourly wage equal to or greater than the New York City living wage of $11.50 per hour (including cash benefits);
Pay anyone who has been employed longer than the average tenure an hourly wage equal to or greater than $11.50 per hour;
No labor or employment practice violations within the last 24 months.
Alternatively, restaurants that cannot afford to meet these standards can be certified if they:
Pay a starting wage above the state's minimum wage;
Have clean health, safety, and employment records within the last 24 months;
Demonstrate financial transparency;
Agree to verifiable benchmarks that signal increases towards these requirements; and
Adopt written employment policies including standards for wage increases.
In the case of these conditional certifications, the establishments must be approved by a committee of experts who conduct an audit of the application and any other relevant data.
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