Becoming Living Wage Certified

The last three years have put employers in some unique and unprecedented situations. Costs are higher across the board, qualified labor can be difficult to attract to your workplace, and talented workers are making the difficult decisions to switch jobs, industries, or even places of residence as they try to make ends meet.

Becoming Living Wage Certified is a great strategy to attract more experienced and talented workers and to keep your existing trained workforce engaged, happy, and on your payroll. Learn about how Just Economics calculates our hourly rate, how we help you to market your certification to both potential employees and to consumers, and how Living Wage Certification can help you communicate your organizational values to the Western North Carolina marketplace.

Eric Smythers is an alumnus of Warren Wilson College. He spent fifteen years in the outdoor industry, the last ten as Managing Partner of Second Gear. After selling his interest in the outdoor gear consignment and retail shop, he did some small business consulting before becoming the Living Wage Program Coordinator with Just Economics – the largest Living Wage Certification Program in the country. He is excited for the opportunity to address the OBA group as he sees the potential for a very fruitful partnership with the industry as the outdoor sector grows by leaps and bounds over the next few years. Contact him directly at eric@justeconomicswnc.org or 828-505-7466 with any questions.

*This is a virtual offering. The Zoom link to join at 12pm is:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89767839696?pwd=MTFqQzRCUEp2Tmhpc0srZUxPenVjdz09