Why is this Bar Harbor mainstay raising its minimum wage?

Jackson Laboratory said it will adjust the wages of approximately 800 of its employees across the country by increasing the minimum wage for its full-time, frontline employees to $15 per hour.

“This increase in wage scales rewards their improved productivity and increased contribution to the laboratory’s success,” Executive Vice President and COO Charles E. Hewett wrote in a blog post announcing the wage adjustment. “It reflects JAX’s understanding of the importance of these roles and both the board’s and management’s ongoing commitment to reward the entire laboratory workforce fairly and appropriately.”

The wage adjustment impacts 43% of the lab’s entire workforce, specifically in animal care, research support, administration and operations, adding $3.8 million to its payroll annually.

“JAX also anticipates that the increase in its wage scales will help ensure employee retention as well as assist in attracting and hiring committed new employees as the laboratory grows and prospers in Maine, Connecticut, and California,” wrote Hewett.

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