Should The Minimum Wage Be Raised - 1307 Words

SHOULD THE CURRENT MINIMUM WAGE BE RAISED TO $15.00? Fred Wehmer Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Author Notes Fred W. Wehmer, Professional Aeronautics, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Contact: wehmerf@my.erau.edu ABSTRACT Fred W. Wehmer Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Rolf Hemmerling /ECON 211 11 October 2015 This paper will explore the pros and cons of raising the current minimum wage to $15.00. It will start with the history and reasons for the minimum wage. It will cite the positive aspects for raising it, as well as the negative consequences of that action. It will then touch on actual cases presently, within the U.S. economy. Finally, I will present my conclusion. In the United States, the minimum wage is the lowest hourly rate that employers may legally pay to workers. It is a price floor. The forbearer to the minimum wage can be traced to medieval England. In 1348, the Black Plague decimated the English people. This caused a serious labor shortage and caused wages to sky rocket. King Edward III was inclined to set a wage ceiling contained in the Ordinance of Labourers (1349). Mihm, S. (2013, September 5). How the Black Death Spawned the Minimum Wage. The laws were eventually used to set a living wage. In the U.S., mandatory minimum wages were first introduced nationally in 1938. Department of Labor (2014, April 17) Grossman, Jonathan. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938: Maximum Struggle for a Minimum Wage. Many states also haveShow MoreRelatedMinimum Wage Should Be Raised?958 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum Wage Louis Montgomery III English Composition 101 Mrs. Blackwell April 23, 2015 Minimum Wage Do minimum wage jobs help pay the bills? Do minimum wage jobs support the family? Should minimum wage be raised? Will raising the minimum wage reduce poverty? The idea of minimum wage jobs is to help people get work experience without having any skills. Most minimum wage jobs include fast food restaurants and grocery stores. Minimum wageRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1062 Words   |  5 Pagesever pressing question regarding Minimum wage. Not many subjects can ignite a controversy as quickly as that of whether or not minimum wage should be raised, or by how much should it be raised or if it should remain the same. What is minimum wage? By definition, minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. (â€Å"MinimumWage.com†) America’s minimum wage was first introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the FairRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment has so generously termed the â€Å"minimum wage†. In Missouri, the minimum wage has been set at a rather appalling $7.65 per hour while in other states there are wages starting as high as $10. Though arguably the economy is not as sluggish and terrible as it once was, $7.65 per hour will not help those who have children, no college degree and debts to pay. It is not only Missouri that has minimum wage laws, but every other state in America has minimum wage laws in place. Both California and SeattleRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised1145 Words   |  5 PagesThe current minimum wage is $7.25, which equals two gallons of milk, one fast food meal or two gallons of gas. Can you imagine yourself working 12-hours a day and only having enough money to p ay for rent and put food on the table for your family? With working all those long hours, you can barely afford to pay your utility bills and after that you don’t have enough money or time for luxuries like clothing or vacation. You have no savings as matter of fact, you are in a huge debt and you are livingRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?870 Words   |  4 PagesShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Minimum wage has always been a controversial issue. Many politicians use the argument of minimum wage for their own political propaganda. Some may argue minimum wage should be raised, while others believe it will have detrimental effects on our economy if it is raised. Surprising to most people, minimum wage earners make up only a small percent of American workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, minimum wage workers make up about 2.8% of all workersRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised935 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage is an ongoing debate in the United States. There are some people who think that it should be raised to a higher rate and others who think that it should not. There are many different pros and cons with raising minimum wage. Minimum wage is at a balanced rate that should not be raised due to lack of skill, low education, and economic problems. Jobs that require minimum wage are created for young adults who are in college or high school. They are to help one get one on their feet so thatRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised910 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximize the American Dream on the minimum wage† (Benjamin Todd Jealous). In 1938, minimum wage was created by the federal government in order to protect workers by ensuring a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour worked. Though President Roosevelt had the right idea in protecting the workforce, something needs to be done to ensure that Americans are getting a reasonable amount of money for the amount of hours they have worked. As Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, minimum wage is not enough for the averageRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Be Raised998 Words   |  4 Pagesprestigious job at such a young age. However that is not the case, if the minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour, a 16 year old could make $18,000 yearly working only 25 hours a week at McDonalds. Now for tee nagers that have goals for college or a car, that would money to set aside for the future, however most 16 year olds do not have those goals in mind yet, so that extra money turns into wasted money. As of February 2016 the minimum wage ranges anywhere from $7.25-$10 across the United States. Florida’sRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Not Be Raised863 Words   |  4 Pagesthan triple the minimum wage. If the minimum wage is increased, it would eliminate people’s incentives to improve. On top of that, inflation would occur, and poverty would virtually stay the same. In addition, raising the minimum wage would bring on hardship for small businesses. Of course, one may argue that the minimum should cover the cost of living, but people should have to work for their money. The minimum wage should not be raised in the United States. If the minimum wage were to go up, peopleRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Not Be Raised858 Words   |  4 PagesRepublican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, is of the opinion that the Minimum wage should not be raised. This is a large issue as the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough to support basic living costs in a fair number of states. Ted Cruz highlights the consequences of raising the minimum wage yet ignores the cons of it remaining static (Ted Cruz on the Minimum Wage). In an article in The Atlantic, the discussion of the cost of living is brought up. The article talks about how the

Essay on Infamy vs. Immortality Beowulf and Gilgamesh

Immortality, monstrosity, infamy, catastrophe, might, and courage are all aspects of the epic legends of Beowulf and Gilgamesh. Though they subsisted in two utterly different historical eras, these epic heroes have numerous similarities and differences. For example, while they were booth deemed epic heroes, their mortalities were not equal. Beowulf had superhuman qualities such as having the strength of thirty men, but was born a mortal man. On the contrary, Gilgamesh was a demigod as he was born two-thirds god and one-third human by Ninsun, the goddess of dreams and cows. This is only one of the various instances of similarities and differences of these two epic idols. In addition to mortality, their leadership customs serve as†¦show more content†¦The reader gains knowledge of of Gilgamesh’s harsh ways as Shamat, a prostitute, informs Enkidu, a wild man that eventually becomes Gilgamesh’s companion, of his behavior. Equally important is the way that thes e men carry themselves in the midst of battle. Gilgamesh is an impatient warrior that is known for carrying his side kick Enkidu with him to battle. One can witness his anxiety for battle in the literature when he confronts Humbamba, the sentinel fiend of the Cedar Forest. However, Beowulf is a patiend and independent competitor. In his battle with Grendel, a hellish, Dane preying monster, Beowulf practiced patience by waiting until the monster tried to eat him to attack. He displayed independence in battle by ordering his gang of thanes to remain on the barrow as he set forth in his final battle with a flame hurling dragon. But despite their differences they were both two tremendously powerful characters that generally set out for one mutual ambition, fame. The great king of the Geats exhibited his brute strength in the brawl with Grendel on his journey to seek fame. As the literature declares, Beowulf traveled to Denmark to save the Danes from the wrath of Grendel. When th e infamous killer tried to seize Beowulf in battle, he embraced the claws of the beast in his fist until they crumbled. Similarly, Gilgamesh pronounces to

Dixons Hrm Brief free essay sample

Human Resource Management Functional Brief Dixons Group’s decision to reorientate the business around serving the customer has had far reaching implications for Human Resource Management (HRM). The emphasis on first-class customer service is intended to help Dixons differentiate itself from its online competitors. The decision to stress personal, face-to-face interactions is clearly something that online competitors will be unable to replicate and if this can be turned into a source of competitive advantage for the company then it represents a sound strategic move. The strategy does, however, hinge on Dixons being able to deliver this excellent customer service. The very face-to-face nature of service delivery means that it can only be provided through the employees of Dixons group which, in turn, means that human resource management is pivotal. This shift in emphasis is best illustrated by the two delivery drivers in the video of the customer plan who comment that when delivering goods ‘we shouldn’t just be saying â€Å"sign here† and then running off. We will write a custom essay sample on Dixons Hrm Brief or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We should give them [the customer] that experience’. http://www. dixonsretail. com/dixons/templates/modules/video. jsp) Aligning HRM strategy with this shift in business strategy has considerable implications for Dixons employees. With employee turnover at 15% a low level for a retail organisation – the majority of employees affected by the change have spent time working under the previous system. This means that a significant amount of retraining is necessary to ensure that employees both know and are able to implement the new strategy. At the heart of the new strategy is the idea of solving problems for the customer. As Group Chief Executive, Sebastian James points out ‘When customers come in and say they want a television what they actually mean is that they want to do something – they want to watch the game, entertain the kids†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Training Dixons staff to help solve the customers’ problems involves ensuring that they not merely have excellent product knowledge but also the know how to provide ancillary services around the product. Dixons achieves this through a mixture of techniques, for example workshops and e-learning. Techniques to help the employees remember the key features of particular products are also employed. Through a clear, customer orientated approach, Dixons hopes to be able to help solve their customers’ problems, rather than simply sell them a box. This training has cost Dixons a great deal of money, with all staff having been through at least three cycles of retraining. These efforts, however, appear to be bearing fruit with significantly improved customer advocacy measures. The percentage of customers who are ‘very likely to recommend’ Dixons has risen from 43% to 73% since 2010 (Dixons Annual Report and Accounts 2011/12, p. 9). The Dixons case illustrates how the alignment of business strategy with people strategy is important in achieving organisational objectives. The customer metrics appear to be improving and it will be interesting to see how this impacts on the financial performance of the business.

Pestel for Whisky Essay Example

Pestel for Whisky Essay PART A: PESTEL analysis on the external business environment of Malaysia based whisky industry. Political factors†¢According to International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed (2010), there will be no tariff reduction on the export of alcohol from Malaysia. This will become a threat to the whisky industry in Malaysia as the price of the whisky will remain high in global market and thus they will lose the competitive advantage on it. The demand of their products will drop as the selling price is high compared to others. Based on the Budget 2011, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (2010) said that the government will not further increase the excise duty on the alcoholic beverages for the coming year. This will not further exert the pressure to the whisky industry and also consumers especially in this economic downturn. When the excise duty is not increased, the price for the whisky will not be further raised and therefore the industry is expected to have gro wth in sales and profits. As stated in Budget 2011, the government will increase the service tax from 5% to 6% starting on 1 of January 2011. The advertising expenditure of the alcoholic beverages is expected to be dropped as government proposed to impose service tax on paid television broadcast services. The increase in service tax will definitely cause the fall in the will of whisky manufacturer and seller to advertise through the powerful media, television. As a result, the demand of consumers on whisky will decrease as they will not be aware of the latest news and promotions on whisky. Economic factors†¢In the official statistics by Department of Statistics Malaysia, the Consumer price index (CPI) for alcoholic beverages has increased 4% in September of 2010(134. 3) compared to the same month in 2009(130. 3) in which the base year is in 2005(100). The increase of 4% in CPI for alcoholic beverages indicates that the price for whisky has increased by 4% in a year and this will further decrease the purchasing power of consumers for whisky. In other words, Malaysians need to pay more money for the same amount of whisky they consume. This is a threat to whisky industry as this will further decrease the demand. The consumers will switch their taste to other beverages instead of whisky and therefore the industry is expected to have a loss in profit. †¢According to Trading Economics, the unemployment rate in Malaysia was reported as 3. 20% in the third quarter of 2010 and this has decreased by 0. 4% as compared to same quarter in the last year. This brings a good sign and opportunity to the whisky industry as the workers in Malaysia are increasing. a)More people are getting their job and contributing their skills and knowledge to the economy of Malaysia. We will write a custom essay sample on Pestel for Whisky specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pestel for Whisky specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pestel for Whisky specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer With the workers available in Malaysia, whisky industry can expand its market by developing new products through research and development to attract more consumers. The whisky industry is also able to supply more by employing more workers in the market. Besides that, the geographical area of whisky industry can be improved and widened by opening more shops for sales so that the consumers can buy the whisky anytime and anywhere when they want it. In fact, workers are the basic element and component in the work of expanding the whisky industry. )From the point of demand, the decrease in unemployment rate will also increase the demand for whisky as more people are working and they have more ability to purchase whisky for better enjoyment of life. †¢2011 per capita income is expected to go up by 6. 1% to RM28, 000, while income in terms of purchasing power parity will hit US$16,000 (Malaysia Budget 2011). When the income of Malaysians increases, the consumers will be more able and w illing to purchase whisky, the luxury good to increase their quality of social life. This will then result in an increase of demand for whisky and boost up the sales of whisky. Whisky industry is expected to expand and earn more profit in the year 2011. †¢In the report of Department of Statistics Malaysia, the Gross Domestic Product(GDP) growth rate for the second quarter of year 2010 has increased drastically to 8. 9% as compared to the same period of time for last year(-3. 9%). GDP is the amount of goods and services produced in a year. The increase of GDP indicates the economic growth in Malaysia. When the economy is in a good condition, the standard of living of Malaysians will also increase and they tend to spend and consume more on luxury goods. In this case, the consumption of whisky will become more as the spending of Malaysians on luxury goods is getting higher as the indication of the growth in the value of GDP. Social factors†¢Based on the statistics by Department of Statistic and Economic Planning Unit, the population of Malaysia has increased from 26. 75miliions in 2005 to 28. 96 millions in 2010 and 63. % of the total population falls in the age between 15 and 64. The increase in population size in Malaysia will bring a better opportunity to whisky industry as the demand of the industry towards labour force can be fulfilled that will cause a higher development and expansion of the industry. The supply of industry will also increase with the workers available in the market of Malaysia. While more than half of population of Malaysia achieves the drinking age limi t (above 18) and this will increase the potential consumers and demand for whisky in future. Dr. Jim Swan, an independent consultant to the worldwide drinks industry (2005) said that drinking whisky can help protect human against cancer. This thesis is originated from a research that showed the people who drink single malt whiskies have greater health benefits rather than drinking red wines. Dr. Jim Swan(2005) further explained that single malt whiskies have more ellagic acid than red wine and this ellagic acid is a highly effective ‘free radical scavenger’ that ‘absorbs’ rogue cells that occur in the body during eating. When the citizens of Malaysia aware of the health benefit from drinking whisky, more people will probably start to consume whisky and the existing consumers will also increase their consumption on whisky. This will create better opportunity to whisky industry from the side of demand on whisky and profitable of the industry. †¢According to a new study by researchers (2010) at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), alcohol reduces the quality of diet. It is stated in the study that people who drink more are also likely to eat less fruit and consume more calories from a combination of alcoholic beverages and foods high in unhealthy fats and added sugars. The increased alcohol intake will therefore cause a harmful effect to human health such as the formation of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and other chronic health problems. When more Malaysians are concerned about the finding of this new study, the demand of whisky will drop as they will be more health conscious and thus reduce the consumption of whisky. This brings a negative effect to the whisky industry. Technological factors†¢A ? 1. 8m research project aiming to identify the genes that could lead to improvements in the quality of barley, one of the most commonly used raw materials in making whisky was carried out by Scottish Crop Research Institute. The project leader, Dr. Robbie Waugh(2005) said that they expect to be able to identify the genes that could lead to improvements in the quality of barley that will be of interest to growers, producers and drinkers. This will be a good opportunity to whisky industry as a higher quality of whisky is able to be produced by using better quality of the raw materials. Consequently, the demand for whisky is expected to be higher as more consumers desire for a consumption of better quality of whisky. †¢In the article of Process Industry Informer (2010), it is stated that a new evaporation system based on Alfa Laval plate heat exchanger technology has been introduced to increase the concentration and quality of the Pot Ale, a by-product from the first distillation stage in malt whisky production. The Pot Ale has many valuable functions and usages and one of them is the making of spent malted barley grains (Dark Grains) that is further used for production of whisky. This technology has helped to reduce the disposability of whisky industry for the wastes being produced and instead the wastes are being used for other better purposes that benefit to the whisky industry and also the country. †¢According to International Telecommunication Union, the internet users in Malaysia have increased about 50% over the ten years from 15% in 2000 to 64. % in 2010. This will bring opportunity to the whisky industry as advertising through online could be done to increase the sales of whisky. Through the online advertising, the whisky industry can save their cost and therefore achieve a higher profitability. The money that is saved can be used for better benefits for the industry such as research and development of new products and technology. Online advertising is also time efficient and p rovides a higher ability to spread over Malaysia and this will cause the expansion of industry in terms of sales. Environmental factors†¢In the article of The Sunday Times by Jonathan Leake(2010), a relatively new environmental technology-anaerobic digestion will be introduced and developed in the whisky industry. This new technology involves the using of anaerobic digesters to convert thousands of tons of yeasty waste into methane gas that will be further burned to create energy. By this way, the waste that is produced through the process of manufacturing whisky can be reduced and this will reduce the negative impact on the environment. At the same time, the energy produced from the waste can be used to make electricity and meet the power needs of the industry. As a result, the production cost will be reduced and a higher profit in the whisky industry will be achieved. †¢A new research project is conducted to find new methods of turning spent grain, a dry waste product of brewing and distilling, into bio ethanol, a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels (Professor Graeme Walker, 2007). The use of bio ethanol in running the cars will be more environmental friendly as it causes less pollution to the earth. Bio-ethanol produces less greenhouse gas emissions as compared to fossil fuels and this offers an opportunity for whisky industry to fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the environment. Besides that, this new finding can help to create a business opportunity for the whisky industry as the waste products can be reused for the production of bio ethanol which is expected to be the main sources for cars in future. According to Gavin Hewitt, Chief Executive of The Scotch Whisky Association (2009), the launch of Scotch Whisky Industry Environmental Strategy will be a pioneering industry-wide environment strategy to reduce the impact of whisky production processes to the environment. Under this environment strategy, the reduction of fossil fuels usage by 80% in year 2050 that is equivalent to 750,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide is one the main target and obj ective. This is a long term strategy and needs a cooperation of all sectors within whisky industry to achieve the objectives of a clean environment in future. This is a good sign to the whisky industry as the demand of consumers will rise as the consumers will continue using whisky after they aware of their roles and contribution of consuming whisky to a better environment. Legal factors†¢Under Islamic law, consumption of alcohol, alone, is considered one of the most serious Hadd crimes and is strictly forbidden in Malaysia (Surah Al-Maaidah verse 90). Islam is the official religion of Malaysia and out of 28. 96 millions of population in 2010, 67% is bumiputera that follow Islam (Department of Statistic and Economic Planning Unit, 2010). This means that the main market for whisky industry in Malaysia is the Chinese and Indians drinkers. In other words, the market of whisky industry in Malaysia is restricted to just a small proportion of population and therefore the demand for whisky is not as high as other countries. The production of whisky is limited and low in amount for supply as to meet the low demand for whisky. In this case, whisky industry will not gain much profit from the sales of whisky in Malaysia due to the Islamic laws being obeyed by Malaysians. †¢According to Malaysia’s 1976 Excise Act, anyone who manufactures and sells any alcoholic beverages or intoxicating liquors needs to apply for a license and pay the license fees accordingly. The license gives the right to the people in the industry to manufacture and selling whisky. Any operating of business and industry without a license is said to be against the Malaysia’s rules and regulations and legal actions will be taken. The license needs to be renewed every year and this becomes a fixed cost for the whisky industry. The whisky industry will have to incur the high operating cost for a long term and thus it affects the whole industry from the aspect of the profitability. †¢As in the article published in Herald Scotland (2010), Malaysia has been granted applications for â€Å"Scotch Whisky† to be protected as a â€Å"geographical indication of origin† (GI) by domestic laws. The high level of protection through legal ways can prevent any cheap imitations to gain market share in Malaysia while at the same time protect the integrity of the Scotch whisky. The consumers are able to drink the original whisky that is high in quality and the demand for whisky will then increase. The whisky industry will gain benefit from it as the sales of whisky will go up when all the consumers in Malaysia are consuming the only and original whisky.