Three Essential Insights on Why Fair Wages Strengthen the Hospitality Industry
Fair wages aren’t a cost to fear—they’re an investment in long-term success, brand strength, and industry resilience.
Tipping culture, subminimum wage, and fair pay practices are at the heart of the modern hospitality industry’s biggest debates. In this must-listen episode of the Distinguished Podcast, Saru Jayaraman, President of One Fair Wage, shares why rethinking tipped wages isn’t just a workers’ rights issue—it’s a fight for racial justice, economic stability, and the future of a thriving, ethical hospitality industry.
Through historical context, current research, and undeniable worker experiences, Saru calls for a system where every worker earns a full, fair wage—with tips on top, not instead.
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Saru Jayaraman is President of One Fair Wage and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at UC Berkeley. A leading advocate for workers’ rights, she co-founded the Restaurant Opportunities Center after 9/11 and launched One Fair Wage to end subminimum wages nationwide. A graduate of Yale Law School and Harvard Kennedy School, Saru has received numerous honors including a James Beard Foundation Leadership Award and White House Champion of Change recognition. She is the author of four books on labor justice and has appeared widely in national media and advocacy campaigns. |