2016-574 Finance - Orange County Living Wage - Outside Agency Performance Agreement

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EXHIBIT A - continued Provider's Outside Agency Application MAIN APPLICATION covered, the threshold for certification is $11.25. If a business's eligibility depends on employees' tips, commissions or other payments that vary, a member of the certification team interviews a sample of employees. If the criteria are met, the business/organization is certified and receives materials induding a decal that can be displayed at the work site indicating certification. Other materials include a certificate,a poster describing the program and a car magnet to publicize the program. Our website provides an anonymous avenue for employees to inform our certification team if they question whether their wages meet the criteria. Once certified, owners can advertise their certified status in their promotions on their social media, websites and other outreach efforts. Orange County Living Wage will display businesses that have become certified on our website and in our social media communications. We will engage in periodic outreach promotions to make the public of Orange County aware of businesses that have been certified,the work of our organization and the importance of a living wage for all employees. For example,we plan to hold several "buy-cots"In which we encourage the public to use a particular certified business on a designated day. The work of Orange County Living Wage addresses Orange County's emphasis on affordable housing, as described in the Consolidated Plan for 2015-2020. Increasing the wages of employees expands the housing options they can afford for themselves and their families. Increased wages are likely to enable some employees to spend their housing funds within Orange County rather than having to go outside the county to find housing that is affordable for them. c) Describe the local need or problem to be addressed in relation to the Consolidated Plan or other community priorities (i.e. CounciUBoard Goals). Cite local data to support the need for this program and the population being served. Nearly 40 percent of workers in Orange County earn less than a living wage. If these workers'wages were brought up to the Orange County living Wage standard,they would be lifted out of poverty. Not only would these individuals be better able to provide for themselves,their children and other dependents,the overall economy in the county would benefit substantially. Research has shown that low wage employees spend much of what they earn. Every dollar going to a low wage employee adds$1.21 to the local economy. A substantial number of employees are unable to afford to live in Orange County and have to commute from neighboring areas where housing is more affordable. A Chamber of Commerce survey revealed that 41 percent of employees in the county commute from outside locations. Only 12 percent of employees of the town of Chapel Hill live in Chapel HIII/Carrboro zip codes. Only 46 percent of Chapel Hill-Carrboro school employees live in the city. Of UNC-Chapel Hill employees,49 percent live in the county,and only 18 percent of UNC Health Care employees live In Chapel Hill zip codes. If the wages of some workers are raised so that their employers can become certified by Orange County Living Wage,more will be able to afford housing in the county and thereby funnel more of their pay checks into the county economy. d) Describe the population to be served or the area to benefit and indicate how you will identify beneficiaries. County employers who pay their employees a living wage will benefit from being publicly recognized. Hopefully,this publicity will encourage employers who do not meet our criteria to re-examine their business plans and work out a way to raise their wages. Employees of certified businesses will benefit,particularly if the employer raised wages in order to qualify for certification.Through December 2015,Orange County Living Wage had certified 46 employers with a total of 4,028 employees. Of these employees, 142 received pay raises so that the employer would qualify;the annual total of these raises is$276,240. A notable example of an employer raising wages in order to qualify for certification is Carol Woods Retirement Community. This organization raised the wages of 58 of their 335 employees by a total of$220,000. RA•ain Anniirno+inn 1/1,011 IA 11.4f1.77 ARA