Organizations across the globe, both in the cleaning industry and the world, continue to confront an ongoing labor shortage. As companies large and small struggle with recruiting and retaining employees, many experts point towards paying workers at a minimum a living wage as one solution to this conundrum. A recent study found that offering competitive pay rates can provide organizations with a pathway to post-pandemic recovery, one that betters a business’s bottom line and their employees’ quality of life.

In an earlier episode of Straight Talk!, ISSA Media Director Jeff Cross dug into the details of how employers can pay living wages in a way that benefits everyone involved. Cross revisits the subject in this latest installment, chatting with Biko Nagara, the chief program officer with Living Wage for US, along with two executives from BRAVO! Building Services, Karen Martinez, president, and Frank Wardzinski, chief operating officer.

The panel discusses how cleaning contractors can work a living wage into their proposals and how this can benefit not just their workers but their clients and their business overall. The episode also discusses how rising salaries can give a contractor a competitive edge over their competition.

Watch or listen to the complete episode below to find out how a living wage elevates everyone involved. You can also download an audio MP3 of the episode here and tune into part one of the series here.