A national effort must be undertaken to improve the overall quality of community employment outcomes both in terms of individual outcomes and proper funding of services and long-term supports. The movement of individuals into non-work day facilities, instead of into community employment, is not an acceptable outcome of the phase out of subminimum wage.

AtWork! has for some time been working towards eliminating subminimum wages. Each year more and more clients are finding opportunities in the community to work at labor market wages, and those who are on a pathway to employment through exploration, volunteering and job trials, are participating in AtWork!’s enterprises for fewer days. Ultimately, those who work in our enterprises will be those for whom landscaping, packaging and assembly and work in our recycle enterprise is an appropriate vocation. There will be no need to pay subminimum wages. AtWork! is moving forward toward this goal before there is a Federal mandate to do so and is three years ahead of the national movement.