Florida workers could soon see bigger paychecks with benefits and also challenges.
Starting Tuesday, the state’s minimum wage rises to $14 an hour and $10.98 for tipped workers.
WATCH BELOW: WPTV's Zitlali Solache sits down with john Ries, owner of Hot Pie Pizza
“My first thoughts are fantastic, I think everybody deserves an earning, a living wage,” said John Ries, owner of Hot Pie Pizza. However, Ries, who has operated his pizza shop for 17 years, said the change won't come cheap.
“We like to keep our labor at a certain percentage of our gross and if that labor does rise, we have to increase the prices,” said Ries.
Ries told WPTV’s Zitlali Solache he’s hesitant to raise prices as ingredient costs continue to climb. “They’re trending up so fast at some particular points in the last years that you could not reprint your menu fast enough,” said Ries.
Since 2022, Florida's minimum wage has climbed by one dollar annually. WPTV turned to the experts to discuss the potential benefits for workers.
“My fear is actually a bit of the opposite,” said Vanessa Coe, an attorney with Legal Society Aid in Palm Beach County. “ Depending on the family size, it could put some families in the position of no longer being eligible for like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.”
Coe said that although it will bring bigger paychecks, the law may not help everyone.
She urges workers to check their pay stubs to make sure employers are complying with the law.
“I really hope that our legislature can see that while this looks like a good thing, there might be unintended consequences that impact a lot of families,” said Coe.
The last scheduled increase will raise Florida’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by September 2026.
