- Conduct pay equity audits to identify issues and correct pay disparities as needed. Consider using the MIT Living Wage Calculator.
- Offer financial well-being programs that include the unique needs of low-income employees such as earning income before payday.
- Promote predictable scheduling/income for shift workers.
- Support access to emergency funds / advance pay in the event of a financial crisis.
- Two-thirds of low-wage workers lack access to paid sick days. It is key that employers support access to adequate paid sick leave and paid maternity/paternity leave for all employees.
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Employer Strategies
- Consider offering healthcare to both full-time and part-time workers.
- Tier premiums or deductibles based on salary to promote equity.
- Introduce coverage options with lower deductibles or lower coinsurance to promote healthcare utilization.
- Consider onsite or near-site clinics that include medical and mental healthcare for no cost or reduced cost-share.
- Introduce virtual medical and mental healthcare for no/reduced cost-share. This could help employees with/without benefits.
- Post information about clinics that serve the community for no cost or reduced cost.
- Post information about patient assistance programs for pharmacy and medical expenses.
- Support awareness of public programs such as food banks in the community, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC),and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
- Bring farmer’s markets on-site and offer employer-sponsored discounts on fresh produce.
- Offer healthy meal vouchers or employee free meals. USA Today reported that 67% of employees who received free food at work were also very satisfied with their employer.
- Provide public transportation vouchers.
- Share information about caregiver transportation programs in the community.
- Provide medical transportation vouchers to support employee well-being through services like Uber Health.
- Consider flexible work hours given transportation challenges, keeping in mind “a lack of transit options, particularly at off-peak hours, means that people who work irregular schedules often have no safe or affordable way to get to work.”
- Provide information about personal safety. This includes information about remaining safe at work, in the community, and at home (i.e., domestic violence).
- Consider covering emergency childcare for low wage earners. “The economic impact from being late or missing work because of the need to stay home to care for a child is quite large for these (low wage earner) households. You can see how a seemingly small disruption could snowball into larger issues that affect income, stress levels, and decisions.”
