Raising Wages Is the Right Thing to Do, and Doesn’t Have to Be Bad for Your Bottom Line

The “working poor” are a growing problem in America — one that is increasingly embarrassing to the corporate elite. Business leaders who are morally inclined to do the right thing should and can play a stronger role in solving this problem by raising wages to a level where their employees’ earnings cover the cost of living. For business leaders operating in settings where profit margins are high and low-wage employees are a small driver of overall costs, doing the right thing morally is not even that risky. Some wage increases would even pay themselves by increasing productivity and reducing turnover — employees would be more motivated, less distracted with life problems, and less eager to find a better job. For those leaders compelled by the same moral argument but operating in businesses with low profit margins and a high percentage of low-wage employees, doing the right thing morally is still possible. But it requires a lot more work.