Industry News
Aspen Skiing Co. announced a $3-million investment in its payroll on Friday, which includes increasing the beginning wage to $17/hr and increasing the pay of those already employed, reports the Aspen Times.
Colorado’s current minimum wage is $12.32 (which increases to $12.56 on 1/1/22), putting Skico way above the required minimum. This fall has seen many ski areas increase their minimum wage to $15, putting Skico ahead of the pack.
“It is vital that we continue to invest in our employees, and this is just one step along that path. We will continue to focus on our people, implementing initiatives around pay, housing, transportation, child care, and overall cost of living in our communities.”
– Mike Kaplan, President and CEO
Starting pay for salaried workers will increase to $50,000, although there is no mention of what it was previously.
Skico is one of many companies/resorts battling a housing emergency. The company has recently increased its workforce housing to 1,000-beds, and the town of Aspen is offering homeowners incentives to lease their properties to employees.
“Recent events have magnified the issues that all of our mountain communities face around housing and affordability. This is not a one-and-done solution. This is just one of many initiatives we will undertake in the coming months and years to address these issues.”
– Mike Kaplan
