Among its findings: a 21 percent decrease in reportable food safety incidents, a 14 percent decrease in worker injuries, a 24 percent
increase in worker productivity and 13 percent increase in operating margins.
The costs in 2012 U.S. dollars included the therapy, outpatient services, hospitalization, emergency department visits, pharmacy services and nonmedical services, as well as indirect costs such as
losses in worker productivity.
And there are forces that could be suppressing wages and economic activity more broadly, such as the slower - growing population and weak
gains in worker productivity.
Hawkins supports raising the state minimum wage to $ 15 an hour, indexed to
increases in worker productivity, and would crack down on the epidemic of wage theft in the state Gov. Andrew Cuomo has refused more than a year to convene a minimum wage board to provide a wage hike to tip workers despite this being part of the wage agreement last year with the legislature.
However, more than $ 60 million
in worker productivity was lost last year when 17,951 LIRR trains were late, canceled or terminated during the morning and evening rush hours, according to the state comptroller.