Minimum Wage Increase and Health Care Reform

July 24 is the new "update your labor law posters" date. As of Friday, July 24, the federal minimum wage will increase to $7.25. I suspect that this increase will affect many of the seasonal employers who use CoolWorks.com so be sure that you know the laws and update your employees' pay accordingly.

Federal Minimum Wage - United States Department of Labor

State Minimum Wage - United States Department of Labor

Another hot topic in Washington is health care reform. Having worked in benefits and having seen first hand how expensive group coverage can be, I personally hope that those in Washington will find a way to help all of the uninsured and under-insured in this country. And, also for the sake of small businesses like CoolWorks.com, who generally are the first to return after a recession, make health care more affordable for them and their employees. We're all in this together. I would love to see a concerted effort by all Americans to take an honest look at their own health situation, and make their voices heard.

I'll get off my soap box now.

For a more humorous take on health care reform, please enjoy this segment from Lewis Black on The Daily Show:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Back in Black - Health Care Reform
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Minimum Wage is Increasing - Are You Ready?

The workers in about 1/3 of the states in the U.S. will be getting a pay raise this week. Any state that either follows the federal minimum wage, doesn't have a minimum wage law or has a state minimum wage less than the federal minimum, will be increasing to $6.55 per hour.

You can learn more here on the Department of Labor website.

Not only will it increase this week on Thursday, July 24 to $6.55 per hour, but the wage will increase again next summer to $7.25.

To learn which states will be affected by the increase, click here to view the DOL's map for minimum wage.

The Colorado Catchup

Just a few newsy items from the great state of Colorado.

1. Snow is not falling and neither is the thermometer. Read article here.
2. Aspen is feeding their employees who have not worked yet. Read article here.
3. The minimum wage is going up to $7.02/hour on January 1, 2008. Read article here.

Are any of you out there doing anything for your ski resort employees who cannot work because of the weather or are you or they in good shape? We'll be thinking SNOW for you all!

Poster Requirements for New Minimum Wage

Effective July 24, 2007, the Department of Labor will require that any employer subject to the minimum wage provisions of the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must post and have posted a labor law poster reflecting the new federal minimum wage of $5.85 per hour. For more information, please visit the the Department of Labor's website. Also, you can purchase labor law posters through many different vendors like HR.BLR.com, J.J. Keller, or others.