It's always been a conversation about what minimum wage should be.

We have watched the number gradually increase as everything around us has increased as well. Connecticut is a state with one of the highest minimum wages. The only states to beat us are Washington DC at $17, Washington State at $16.26 and California at $16. Connecticut comes next at $15.69.

I look back at what minimum wage used to be when I was growing up and wow, what a difference, but I also understand that everything wasn't as expensive as it is now. As I was looking around the internet, I saw something that was very interesting around minimum wage.

A popular retailer announced they were minimum full-time hourly wage to $19.25 as of October 1, 2024. According to their website, in 2009, Hobby Lobby was one of the first retailers to raise their nationwide minimum wage well above the federal and has continued to raise it over the past 15 years.

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The Hobby Lobby Founder and CEO, David Green, made a comment that a pillar of their success is taking care of their employees. Especially with the holiday season coming up, they are happy to share their successes with their employees. Hobby Lobby seems to be very employee-minded place to work. They are closed Sundays, close their doors at 8 PM daily, and try to help balance work-life and personal-life.

Hobby Lobby currently has 4 Connecticut locations in Milford, East Haven, Bristol and Manchester. If you have never been, you absolutely need to go. They have some of the best stuff and will be an essential place for the holiday season, especially if you need more decorations.

I find it awesome that companies are willing to do this to recognize the hard work of employees. For some states, this is a ginormous jump for minimum wage. While we are lucky enough to have a $15.69 minimum wage, many states are still sitting at $7.25.

Kudos to you, Hobby Lobby.

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