Some of the lowest wage earners in the United States work at fast food restaurants. However, the low pay and high cost of living gives employees little to no incentive to keep working for a company if and when a better opportunity comes up.

At the end of 2018, according to Statista, fast food restaurants will employ approximately 3,800,000 people.[1] In the long-run, what that could potentially translate to is millions of fast food workers not earning enough to cover their basic costs month to month. Fortunately, some people want to break this cycle…

For the last three years, Eric Mason has owned a Chick-fil-A location off the highway near the Sacramento airport in California. Recently, Mason’s name been making headlines for his “living wage� initiative.[2]

What Is A Living Wage?

Currently, some fast food employees are paid a minimum wage of $12 to $13 an hour. However, according to PayScale, the median hourly pay is $8.28.[3] Mason believes they should be paid a living wage which, in Mason’s view, is $17 or $18. Starting on June 4, 2018, he actually started paying his Chick-fil-A employees that living wage.[4]

Chick-fil-A has long been known for its courteous employees, commitment to respect and be kind to them, and top-notch customer service… And it shows:[5]

• The 66-year-old family-owned fast food chain is the second-largest in the United States
• Chick-fil-A is only open six days a week and does more business than McDonald’s does in seven
• Turnover rates are 1/3 of the industry average

Mason’s commitment to raising wages by $5 is another testament to the genuine love and care they have for their employees. He even prefers referring to workers as “hospitality professionals� – and anyone who has ever had a Chick-fil-A experience will know why.

It’s So Much More Than Just Selling Fast Food

As a businessman, Mason is well aware that implementing this living wage initiative will be challenging. But, he is trying to keep a healthy long-term perspective. Despite California aiming to raise minimum wage to $15 by 2022, Mason recognizes that real people are in need of real change – today.[6]

“When we go to the living wage, we’re looking for people who are trying to raise families, improve their lifestyle,� said Mason.[7] “Maybe they could just work one job, and then it’s sustainable. What that does for the business is provide consistency, someone that has relationships with our guests. It’s going to be building a long-term culture.�

Unfortunately, Mason’s decision to pay his workers more was made at a local level, which means not every Chick-fil-A employee should expect a raise. However, we can probably expect more franchisees to take bold steps forward as Mason did in the future.

At the end of the day…

Chick-fil-A has an outlook that is unmatched by most businesses. When you walk into one of their chains, there’s something different; strangers come for fast food and get fed and welcomed like family. The franchise’s COO Dan Cathy puts it quite beautifully:[5]

“The word ‘restaurant’ means place of restoration, and we think of Chick-fil-A as an oasis where people can be restored. We strive to treat people better than the place down the street. One way we do that is by remembering that we’re all people with a lot of emotional tings going on that don’t necessarily show on the surface, so we try to offer amenities and kindness that minister to the heart.�

The post Why Chick-Fil-A Owner, Eric Mason, Is Raising Hourly Wages to $17 an Hour appeared first on The Hearty Soul.