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Red Robin Fires Bus Boys In Response to Minimum Wage Hikes

In December, I blogged about the minimum wage hikes starting on December 31, 2017, as all areas across New York State move towards a $15.00/hour minimum wage over the next few years. And as of January 1, 2018, minimum wages went up in 18 states and 20 cities across the country.

For most businesses, and especially small businesses, their greatest cost is labor--paying workers. So if state and local governments force business owners to pay their workers more, the businesses can either (1) raise prices (and risk losing customers/sales); (2) cut back workers' hours (which could hurt productivity and reduce revenue); or (3) simply get rid of people and make the remaining workers do more.

Smart people on both sides of the issue disagree about the effect minimum wage hikes will have on jobs. Supporters say there has been no real impact on jobs in areas that have raised minimum wages. But critics say that the "fight for 15" will end up hurting the very people it was meant to help--minimum wage workers in low-skill jobs. Instead of making $9.00/hour, you'll have no job at all.

Yesterday, Red Robin announced that in response to the new minimum wage hikes, it is firing bus boys in 570 of its restaurants.

But someone has to bus the tables. Sounds like the waiters and waitresses will be doing more work. Will this be a trend as 2018 moves ahead?




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