Osage Casinos announced Monday they are increasing the minimum wage for their approximate 700 employees to $12 per hour and offering a $1,000 sign-on bonus for select positions.
“The Federal minimum wage is $7.25. Prior to the increase, Osage Casinos averaged roughly $8.50 – $9.00 an hour for entry-level positions” said Byron Bighorse, CEO. “This will be the first time that Osage Casinos has offered a sign-on bonus, outside of employee referrals. This incentive is becoming an industry norm and a Human Resource trend across the nation.”
All current employees will see the increase immediately, according to a release.
The announcement comes before a job fair tentatively scheduled for June 10 to be held at the Skyline Event Center, Bighorse said. Osage Casinos plans to hire new employees in a variety of roles for its seven casinos, located in Tulsa, Sand Springs, Bartlesville, Skiatook, Ponca City, Hominy and Pawhuska.
“In a year that certainly had its challenges, we are grateful for the continued success of our casinos. We pride ourselves on being good stewards, and with that comes the opportunity to increase the minimum wage to employees in select positions,” Bighorse said in a release. “We are ecstatic about this new development and excited to see how it can help enhance our workforce.”
In addition to increasing the minimum wage for hourly employees, Osage Casinos will continue to offer benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance; 401k retirement savings plan with a 5% employer match; employer-paid life insurance and short-term disability; paid time off; paid maternity and paternity leave; and much more, according to the release.
“Access to a generous benefits package is an advantage of working at Osage Casinos,” Bighorse said. “We want to make sure our employees feel appreciated and validated, and we think increasing the wage will further cement that.”
The Osage Nation government also recently increased the minimum wage for its workforce with a new law passed during the ON Congressional Hun-Kah Session, raising the minimum wage to $15 over the next three years in increments.
Prospective Osage Casinos employees are asked to apply online at https://www.osagecasino.com/careers/.
By
Shannon Shaw Duty
Original Publish Date: 2021-05-17 00:00:00