Report Finds Fault in New School Minimum Wage Study
A recent report released by the Center for New York Affairs at The New School, in conjunction with the National Employment Law Project, examined the recent increase in the minimum wage and its effect on industry growth in New York. Unsurprisingly, since this report was heavily sponsored by labor activists, it found that the increase had no negative effect on businesses and that the restaurant industry was showing “remarkable growth”. However, it turns out the current state of the industry is nowhere near as rosy as this report would like you to believe.
In an effort to pushback on this report, the folks behind the Minimum Wage Facts and Analysis website poke a series of holes in the report, and explain why the data used to come up with it are off the mark. For example, they found that the authors picked a benchmark reference point for restaurant growth several years before the state’s minimum wage increase began–taking credit for restaurant growth that evaporated after the minimum wage began rising.
This is just one of the many errors that this group found when looking at The New School study. The full article can be found
here
. Please read the article and share it with your fellow industry professionals. It’s important that we push back on this deeply flawed narrative.
NYS Restaurant Association Signs Letter Encouraging Change to Full-time Employee Threshold
New federal legislation (H.R. 2782/S. 1510) will help employees and employers seeking flexibility by aligning the Affordable Care Act weekly hours threshold for a full-time employee (currently 30 hours) to 40 hours. Since the implementation of the 30-hour definition, seasonal and part-time employees have lost the flexibility to add or trade shifts. Changing this definition will dramatically increase both the employers and employees’ ability to create work shifts that best fit the needs of the restaurant and the individual.
The NYS Restaurant Association signed on to a letter that our partners at the National Restaurant Association penned, thanking federal lawmakers for introducing the Employee Flexibility Act of 2019. Since this legislation has been introduced relatively recently, the prospects for passage are unclear. We will keep you up to date on any and all progress on this issue, and if you would like to add your name to those supporting this change you can do so
here
.
Yelp Revealed to be Pushing Phone Traffic to Grubhub-Owned Numbers
When diners place phone orders through Yelp, most assume that they are calling the restaurant directly. Now, it has come to light that Yelp is actually channeling callers through Grubhub-owned phone numbers, which redirect to the restaurant but allow Grubhub to charge a “marketing fee” for the order.
There has been widespread outrage over this latest revelation, with many arguing that phone calls made from Yelp should not be attributed to any marketing efforts by Grubhub, and should not result in fees for restaurants. NYSRA is continuing our work to resolve the many recent issues with Grubhub, and will be meeting with company executives this week. We will keep you apprised of developments as they occur.
NYC Paid Vacation Mandate: Have you Contacted your Council Member?
This summer is our best opportunity to get in front of the paid vacation issue and let City Council know that there is strong, organized opposition
. The NYSRA Advocacy team has been meeting with Council Members, and will continue to do so throughout the summer and fall. Our coalition of business groups has been working with us on lobbying and PR efforts. What we need from our NYC members is active and frequent outreach to Council Members! If you haven’t yet done so, please fill out this
form
to express your opposition, and explain how this law would impact your business. Make yourselves heard!
