Lawmakers weigh training wage for new employees
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Washington state has the highest state minimum wage in the nation, but a new bill being considered by lawmakers would allow some employers to pay a lower "training wage" to new employees for a certain period of time.
The measure heard before the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee on Wednesday would establish a special training certificate for employers with fewer than 50 employees. The certificate would allow them to pay new employees 75 percent of the minimum wage during a training period to last no longer than 680 hours. Washington state's minimum wage increased by 15 cents this month to $9.19 per hour.
Employers would only be able to use the certificate once per employee, and training wages could not be used on more than 10 percent of the employer's workforce.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Janea Holmquist Newbry, a Republican from Moses Lake who is chairwoman of the committee. A companion bill in the House had a public hearing on Tuesday.
Currently, exceptions to the minimum wage law already exist with employers being able to pay less than the minimum wage to certain groups, like student workers at schools that they attend, and individuals impaired by age or physical or mental deficiency or injury. State law also allows a training wage for 85 percent of minimum wage for 14 and 15 year olds.
Many states, including Idaho, follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, either because they've tied their minimum wage to that threshold or because the state-enacted minimum is lower than that.
Washington voters approved a process in 1998 to automatically increase the minimum wage to compensate for inflation.
Oregon has the next highest state minimum wage at $8.95 per hour.
San Francisco has set the highest local minimum wage, with workers there making at least $10.55 an hour starting this year. The minimum wage in Santa Fe, N.M. rises to $10.51 on March 1.
The measure heard before the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee on Wednesday would establish a special training certificate for employers with fewer than 50 employees. The certificate would allow them to pay new employees 75 percent of the minimum wage during a training period to last no longer than 680 hours. Washington state's minimum wage increased by 15 cents this month to $9.19 per hour.
Employers would only be able to use the certificate once per employee, and training wages could not be used on more than 10 percent of the employer's workforce.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Janea Holmquist Newbry, a Republican from Moses Lake who is chairwoman of the committee. A companion bill in the House had a public hearing on Tuesday.
Currently, exceptions to the minimum wage law already exist with employers being able to pay less than the minimum wage to certain groups, like student workers at schools that they attend, and individuals impaired by age or physical or mental deficiency or injury. State law also allows a training wage for 85 percent of minimum wage for 14 and 15 year olds.
Many states, including Idaho, follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, either because they've tied their minimum wage to that threshold or because the state-enacted minimum is lower than that.
Washington voters approved a process in 1998 to automatically increase the minimum wage to compensate for inflation.
Oregon has the next highest state minimum wage at $8.95 per hour.
San Francisco has set the highest local minimum wage, with workers there making at least $10.55 an hour starting this year. The minimum wage in Santa Fe, N.M. rises to $10.51 on March 1.
So they're considering allowing employers to pay less than the federal minimum wage for up to four and a quarter months of full-time employment? Which is more like seven to nine months if you stretch it out as part time? Uh, no. Maybe allow small business employers to pay new employees the federal minimum wage for up to six weeks of training, regardless of the training being part-time or full time. If it's a job that pays only minimum wage or just above, it should not require four months of on-the-job training to be considered proficient at the work, and $6.80-something an hour is not a living wage in this state (especially not for an extended period of time). Not only that but you'll have employers firing the trainees right before they'd have to put them on regular wages, so many people would find themselves working full time for more than four months at almost $2.50 less per hour than they should be paid, and going from four-month job to four-month job, stuck at the training wage indefinitely and cheated out of their money by greedy employers. You'll also have employees who couldn't give two craps about doing well at their jobs at that wage, so everyone loses.
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"The certificate would allow them to pay new employees 75 percent of the minimum wage during a training period to last no longer than 680 hours. Washington state's minimum wage increased by 15 cents this month to $9.19 per hour."
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If it takes you 680 hours to train an employee in a minimum wage postition, then you are a really crappy trainer.Â
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At 40 hours a week, at is 17 weeks... to train a person for a minimum wage position.Â
For a part time worker that could be as little as much as 34 weeks. This is nothing more than an attempt to let people pay employees less.
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Yeah, you are in training, for 75% of minimum wage, part time, for 6 months. Then we lay you off and hire someone else.
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What happens when an employee can be trained in 30-40 hours of work?
He is then stuck a lower wage but fully trained because employer can say he is training him for 680 hours?
I don't see this legislation helping anyone except "deadbeat" employers who go to any length to not pay their employees what they earned.
And just how is this going to improve the economy? Less wages= less money spent in stores=less sales tax.
Talk about cutting off their nose to spite their face...
 @Glassman Less wages = less money spent in stores = less sales tax = lower cost of living.
 @jalharad:Â
But not all "living expenses" are subject to sales tax. Rent, utilities, and gas in your car are ALL big chunks of most people's budgets. I seriously doubt if ANY of those will go lower simply because of a lower "training wage". What I actually see instead is that people will not be able to afford to even live in the greater Seattle area any longer, it will take them longer to "save up" for any major expenses. I also soee it being abused as Blue Jedi wrote.
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I swear this rins & smells of Rossi & his "nobody can support a familyu on minimum wage" - we already know that, but having been in the job market trying to find a job, the employers hold the majority of the cards & being an "at will state" they will screw you if they can.
 @Jalharad You think this is going to somehow mean a reduction in sales tax?Â
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So then you do not understand that a sales tax is regressive and effects poor people (those making minimum wage) the hardest.
 @Jalharad  @Glassman ... unless you're talking about PAYING less sales tax, when Glassman was talking about COLLECTING less sales tax.
 @Jalharad  @Glassman OK, I'll bite. How does "less sales tax" equal "lower cost of living?"
Okay....I see where this is going quickly.Â
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Washington is an "at will" state. Meaning unless you are under contract they can fire you for anything. I had a employer fire me after two weeks once because he didn't like my coffee cup. True story. Anyway, as an at will state, an employer can fire you for some pretty bat chit crazy reasons.
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Now, back to my point.
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Company hires new trainees. Company pays them "training wages"
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At the start of week 18 (680 hours/40 hours a week=17 weeks) company fires trainees. Reason(s)? As long as it's not because of sexual identity/preference, marriage status, race, religion, color, gender or disability, take your pick. What's left is a lot of reasons. Point? Trainees are now gone.Â
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Company brings in next batch of suckers to work for "training wages."
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Rinse, repeat.
 @BlueJedi I think you're exactly right.