Diners in California received a shock on their bill when they were forced to pay an added surcharge to cover the additional costs of the recent minimum wage hike.
KSWB reports that Julian Gallardo was eating pizza with his family at Liberty Station Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza in San Diego, California, when he received a surprise on his bill.
Liberty Station charged Gallardo $3.00 to offset the additional labor expenses brought on by the recent minimum wage hike.
On Jan. 1, 2017, the minimum wage in California rose from $10.00 an hour to $10.50 an hour.
“I wasn’t told there was going to be an extra charge on my ticket. They should’ve told us or put up a sign out front saying ‘hey we’re charging an extra percentage,'” said Gallardo.
According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, the state’s minimum wage is set to rise every Jan. 1 until the year 2023, where it will settle at $15 per hour. Every full-time employee in the state must be paid at least minimum wage, or else they can file a wage claim against their employer and collect back wages due, plus any penalties and fees.
Liberty Station, owned by the Cohn Restaurant Group, is just one of many restaurants around San Diego to include the additional 3 percent charge.
“The surcharge works better than raising prices and helps offset additional operating expenses,” said David Cohn, who is in charge the Cohn Restaurant Group. “It’s something being done all over the country.”
It remains to be seen how the public will react to higher prices in response to the rise in wages.
H/T: Opposing Views
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