Most
Americans believe that someone who works full-time should be able to meet
his/her basic needs without resorting to public financial assistance.
Said in another way, they believe in livable jobs.
Livable jobs
provide a way for business to benefit from offering their employees livable
wages, benefits and humane working conditions. Livable jobs include livable
wages but also beneficial work arrangements like flexible schedules, paid
sick leave and job security. Businesses providing livable jobs are able to
attract and keep employees while improving productivity. Paying decent
wages and creating a quality workplace can actually be a source of
competitive advantage, not a harmful cost, to employers.
Employees who
are unable to afford their basic needs struggle to maintain productivity and
focus on being a reliable employee. Businesses that do not provide livable
jobs often experience high turnover which creates recruiting and training
costs, as well as lost productivity.
Providing
livable jobs pays for the costs of higher wages and benefits through
increased productivity and quality of work as well as decreased recruitment
and training expenditures. Non-livable jobs actually have high costs to
employers. Through livable jobs both Vermont employees and Vermont
employers can benefit.