New Hampshire bans subminimum wages for workers with disabilities

[sinisterporpoise]

http://nhpr.org/post/new-hampshire-bans-lower-minimum-wages-workers-disabilities

I wonder how this will affect Goodwill's business model.

Comments

[silk_dragon_zen]

I think Goodwill doesn't hugely depend on sub-minimum wage labor, so it will only affect a portion of their business model. I hope that they can learn from this, however, that they don't *need* to use sub-minimum wage labor, and thus might be willing to stop using it in other states, and to encourage other businesses to stop using it as well. Only in my dreams …

[sinisterporpoise]

They'll probably just raise prices in New Hampshire and go on with business as usual everywhere else.

[silk_dragon_zen]

Yeah, that's possible, though I doubt they'd have to raise prices much: I think sheltered workshops serve more to line the pockets of the companies that run them, than to allow them to lower prices all that much, though it's probably a bit of both.

[sinisterporpoise]

In some states, including my home state, employers are allowed to pay sub-minimum wage for a training period only. When the training period ends, they often let the employee go. If they keep the employee on, they are required to pay normal wages.

I think it's a good compromise if the price is designed to offset the cost of the training and there's a good chance of a person getting a job outside. The one place I'm familiar with also expects most of the people working there receive disability benefits as well.

I have no idea how Indiana does things.

[silk_dragon_zen]

I take it that this only applies to Disabled employees, and not to abled employees? The reason I ask is that if it does, than that's still ableist.

[sinisterporpoise]

I believe that is the case.