The Hearth
The Hearth is for you if you're a business leader with a team. Here we have conversations about how to keep growing when you feel you've reached your capacity. When what you're doing is working, but you're starting to see the cracks. When there's a gap between where you're at now and where you want to be. Here we find ways to transition through struggle of survival toward creating a thriving business that supports you and your team as whole humans.Your host is me, Candice Elliott. I am a strategist & mentor who specializes in working with business owners who are going through periods of growth, especially when you add more people to your team. The practices and systems that worked when your team was smaller just don’t seem to fit anymore. When you’re caught in stress and reaction it's tough to reimagine the way that you created your world of work, both your own personal one, and the one you created for others. I help people align their values and business practices to build practical, sustainable, thriving work ecosystems. And no, this isn’t just some work utopia talk. To do this I bring forward my decade-long professional background in human resources and organizational development working with growing businesses across many sectors, and my decades-long search for meaning and wholeness which includes researching the history of work and how it came to be what it is today, practicing a trauma-informed approach to business, and integrating work, life and spirituality into a meaningful whole. Let's take this journey together.Learn more about Candice and her work here: www.fortressandflourish.com
The Hearth
Creating Fair Pay Systems in Our Organizations
In this episode of The Hearth, we dive deep into the complex landscape of compensation systems, exploring what it means to create fair and equitable compensation in today's economy.
Key Discussion Points:
- Commerce and Fairness in Compensation: We start by discussing how commerce, capitalism, and equitable compensation systems intersect. The focus is on creating a system of fair exchange, where employees receive enough compensation to meet their financial needs.
- Labor Markets and Income Disparities: A breakdown of how labor markets function and the tensions that arise between what is perceived as the value of labor versus actual living costs. We examine the challenges that arise when compensation falls short of covering basic living expenses.
- Poverty Wage and Living Wage: A detailed look into the differences between poverty wage (income levels that still qualify individuals for public assistance) and living wage (income necessary to afford basic needs without public assistance). We explore specific metrics from Santa Cruz, California, including a living wage of $36.64 an hour and its implications for workers.
- Financial Hardships of the Underpaid: The real-world consequences for employees earning below a living wage—debt accumulation, unsafe living conditions, inability to afford healthcare, and the emotional toll of financial stress.
- The Living Wage for Families: We explore the economic pressures faced by parents, highlighting the fact that a single parent with two children in Santa Cruz would need to earn $78 an hour to meet basic expenses.
- Systemic Challenges and Solutions: Finally, we address the systemic inequities and the difficult decisions employers must make, including how to restructure organizations to meet living wage standards while remaining sustainable.
Connect with Me: If you're grappling with compensation decisions or want to explore new strategies for creating equitable pay structures in your organization, reach out! I’d love to have these conversations with you.
4o
If something you heard today brought a smile to your face or a spark to your heart, and you’d like to connect with me, here are a few ways you can do that.
One is my newsletter, it’s where I put most of my time and energy when I’m not working with clients or on this podcast. Sorry social media! It’s a mix of real life stories, tips and tricks and of course updates on what’s happening with the podcast. Whenever something is going on with me or in my business, it always comes out there first.
Another resource that I have for you is my Guide to Doing Work Differently. The guide takes you through four inquiries into how you can build a more sustainable and equitable work environment for yourself and your team. It's a great place to start.
Last, if you’ve got a burning question, a comment, or a situation you’d like my eyes on, you can email me at candice@fortressandflourish.com.
If you enjoyed this episode, hit subscribe to know when the next episodes come out, and if you’re feeling generous, leave a review. Reviews help other like-minded folks find their way to this resource.
Learn more about Candice and her work here.
.jpg)