Top 3 Takeaways from HR Retail 2018

HR Retail (April 10-12 in San Diego) was a blast, and we loved meeting you all! We came back with memories and lots of valuable ideas and concerns surrounding retail programs. Check out our top three themes from the HR Retail conference here!

1. “Compression” Resulting from Increasing Minimum Wage Rates

Retailers are working to understand how to manage minimum wage rate increases not only for their minimum wage-earning workers but also other workers, such as managers.

Employers are finding their managers expect a rise in wages as well, as the gap between manager-level and minimum wage-level employees shrinks. For example, if a manager makes $12 an hour, and a minimum wage-earning employee makes $10, and the minimum wage rate law increases it to $12, does the manager’s wage go up by $2 as well?

Some employers are saying yes, and others are saying no. The ones saying yes argue that is right to maintain the gap between the wages, due to experience and job title. However, some employers say no because they simply cannot afford to raise all employee wages.

Are you experiencing this as a retail employer? In what ways are you handling it?

2. Employee Transfers

Next, many attendees at HR Retail expressed their frustrations with transferring employees from one location to another. The issue with the transfer is that the first location may have a different minimum wage than the second. Especially when the minimum wage is higher at the first location, retailers are finding it difficult to match the wage at the second location.

How do you manage this wage challenge? What strategies do you use when transferring employees?

3. Cutting Through the Noise Surrounding Compliance

Last, retail employers are getting lost in the noise surrounding compliance. With the ever-changing labor laws across the country in states, counties, and cities, they are constantly researching laws to learn the details. However, with all the blogs, news sources, and publications out there, who do they listen to?

A few tips to utilize when researching include:

• Date: When was the source published?
• Source: Is the source a trusted publication?
• Author: Is the author an expert in this field?