Speaking of wages and new requirements, the New Year arrives in just over one week, so we wanted to be sure you are aware of the increases that become effective with the turn of the calendar. A number of municipalities along with twenty states will increase the legal minimum wage on January 1, either adjusted by law or by changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The states include: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington. In addition, the minimum wage in the state of New York increases as well, but that increase is effective on December 31 of each year, rather than on New Year’s Day! For greater detail, we again refer you to this state-by-state summary produced here in Restaurant Hospitality.