Weber State University is raising its minimum wage to $10 an hour.
The decision was made several years ago to keep raising the minimum wage of the University each year, and every year since, the university has continued to raise the minimum wage by $.25. For the past year, the minimum wage has been $9 per hour, according to President Brad Mortensen.
“We feel this is important for a couple of reasons. By increasing the hourly rate a little each year, it will help us be in a better financial position as an institution to implement a new state or federal minimum wage,” Mortensen said.
He added that raising this gives hourly students and non-student staff a better wage for living and can use it towards their education.
Those who have initiated most of the changes have been the Human Resource department at WSU along with Norm Tarbox, Vice President for Administrative Services.
Tarbox said that by January 1, 2022, the university hopes to have all hourly employees up to the $10 minimum.
Some reasons that Tarbox and the University wanted this change is to make Weber an attractive option for student employment and that this is likely to happen on a federal scale in future years.
Both Mortensen and Tarbox stated that by increasing the wage over time, this better prepares them for the financial impact of the possible federal increase, rather than just implementing it all in one year.
