Wage increase discussions were already happening at Newfields, which includes the Indianapolis Museum of Art; The Garden, 52 acres of property with a national historic landmark; and the 100-acre Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park—prior to EmployIndy’s launch of the Good Wages Initiative (GWI) in April of 2022. These early discussions were what led to their application into the program as a “committed” member of this network of area employers who provide full-time employees both a wage of at least $18/hr and access to health insurance benefits.
That wage cut-off number of $18/hr comes per recommendation from “Advancing Opportunity in Central Indiana,” a 2018 Brookings Institution report. The Good Wages Initiative is one of four “Choice Employers” pillars that have been recently launched by EmployIndy, which also includes company culture and diversity, employee supports, and career pathways for employees. EmployIndy, Marion County’s Workforce Development Board and local workforce intermediary, works to guide the local workforce ecosystem and make strategic investments to promote equity and remove barriers to quality employment for underserved and underrepresented residents. Choice Employers, and GWI as one of its pillars, supports this end by helping employers give their workers the ability to support themselves in a way that leads to improved mental and physical health, which helps to improve on-the-job performance and foster financial security.
Within the Good Wages Initiative, the committed path is one of two entry points into the program, essentially meaning that a business doesn’t quite meet full program qualifications yet but is moving in that direction and intends to get there soon. With a goal to help more employers meet the qualifications, an indication of the program working over time is certainly evidenced by “committed” participants eventually becoming “certified,” and Newfields has recently become the first local organization to make that transition.
EmployIndy recently connected with Newfields to learn more about its commitment to pay a minimum wage of $18 an hour. According to Laura McGrew, Newfields’ Senior Director for Guest Experience & Volunteerism, when Newfields became a committed member of GWI, there were 39 employees who were not yet earning $18 an hour. These were front-line staff, entry-level talent that the organization hopes to develop and advance into long-term employees.
In partnership with GWI, Newfields accelerated its initial commitment to pay all employees $17 an hour by January of 2023 to $18 an hour in the same timeframe. “Our employees are a treasure that we will continue to support and invest in,” said Ernest Gause, Chief People Officer at Newfields.
“If you’re able to invest in people, you should,” McGrew added. “Newfields’ greatest asset is our talented team, and we want to encourage them to grow here. By taking this important step, we are proud to be able to recognize their contribution to Newfields’ excellence. We hope other Marion County employers will consider this program and the benefits it can bring to their workforce.”
Interested job seekers can find and apply for open positions at Newfields here.
To learn more about becoming a GWI employer, visit https://goodwagesindy.org/.