A random sample by the Labor Ministry has found that 38 percent of businesses in Costa Rica don’t comply with minimum wage requirements
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The highest level of noncompliance occurs in the Central Valley, followed by the central Pacific region.
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The results were obtained through 1,948 site visits over the course of a month, as part of President Laura Chinchilla’s new Minimum Wage Campaign.
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According to the Labor Ministry, businesses are given 15 days to correct noncompliance. If they fail to respond, they will be fined. Â
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Since the Minimum Wage Campaign began, nearly 4,000 callers have contacted the new minimum wage hotline (800-TRABAJO), which has resulted in the finding of 260 violations.
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The minimum wage varies depending on the worker’s occupation. For example, someone in charge of cleaning pools should receive at least ₡7,194 ($14.29) a day, and a florist should be paid ₡7,984 ($15.86) a day. A receptionist should receive a minimum of ₡231,271 ($459.43) a month. The full list can be found at the Labor Ministry Web site: http://www.ministrabajo.go.cr/sminimos.pdf
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A challenge for businesses is that required taxes, public health insurance, pension contributions and other benefits can cost the employer up to an additional 45 percent of a worker’s salary.
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