Staff Reports
Charter Communications is raising its minimum wage for employees to $20 an hour, the company announced in an email to employees earlier this month.
While the planned raises are an effort to show appreciation for tireless work keeping services available for the company’s 30 million customers, the raises will be phased in and permanent.
“As millions have shifted to working and learning remotely, Charter’s employees have been working to ensure our customers stay connected during this crisis. We are proud to say that through their hard work, our networks have remained strong, even with a surge in usage. Our employees are our greatest resource and we’re doing everything we can to protect them,” the company wrote in a blog post explaining the raises.
Employees on the frontlines of the company’s service including field technicians and customer service call center workers received an immediate $1.50 raise regardless of their previous wage.
The company will then phase in additional raises to bring all employees’ pay to $20 an hour or more by 2022.
“Because of the important work we do, there will continue to be crises we will face, including hurricanes, floods, tornados, fires, and ice storms for as long as we are in business. We keep people connected no matter what. It’s the obligation we have to the communities we serve,” CEO Tom Rutledge wrote in the email to employees.
The company has been working around the clock to ensure service for customers and finding ways to support communities it serves throughout the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Charter offered Spectrum Internet service for free for new subscribers with K-12 or college students or teachers for up to 60-days.
The company also halted any service disruptions for residential or small business customers having difficulties keeping current on their bills.
Charter also opened Wi-Fi hotspots in areas it serves to provide public access to internet.
The company also provided employees with an addition three weeks of flexible paid time off to be used for any reason related to the novel coronavirus.
“We know our workforce is key to our long-term success. It’s why we brought work back from overseas, reduced our reliance on contractors, hired locally, and increased our minimum wage to $15 per hour,” the company explained of its decision to again raise wages.
“We offer robust benefits, retirement security, and opportunities for advancement, because Charter is a company where our workers don’t just do their jobs, they build careers. And when the lives of our employees are improved, they in turn improve the lives of the customers they serve.”
“With our customers facing uncertain times, we are working hard to ensure we are rising to the challenge.”
