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Photo credit: Canva. Graphic Artist: Sarai Pak
By Julia Foodman and Jess LaPolla
In 2022, it’s no secret that vast quantities of the clothes and other goods we buy are products of extremely underpaid laborers, many of whom work inhumane hours over seas. The Outdoors Salary Survey conducted in 2019 found that overall, 72 percent of those who work for outdoor companies feel underpaid. The survey also found issues with salary disparities along the lines of gender and race. Undeniably, these results are less than satisfactory. Despite the current climate and historical disparities in the workforce, a beacon of hope shines through: many small businesses, non-profits, and even several larger outdoor gear companies are leading the movement to pay their employees ethically. Many outdoor companies aren’t just great because of their awesome gear selection; they’re great because they pay their employees a living wage.
“Our company values people first, and we feel our instructors and staff are what set us apart,” says Mindy Yeager, Director of Human Resources at Avid4 Adventure. “We are committed to a sustainable employment strategy, paying industry leading rates and building a community where Avid4 is a launchpad for lifelong careers in the outdoor industry.” Avid4 is the nation's leading outdoor adventure summer camp for kids, offering seasonal staff salaries over 48% above the average minimum wage in all states where the camp operates. Organizations like Avid4 Adventure are setting an important precident for the rest of the outdoor industry.
More and more companies have realized that paying a living wage has a number of benefits that outweigh the additional costs. It motivates employees to show up and do a good job, supports mental health, is better for the economy, and better for the environment. Environmental justice and treating the world with decency, in a variety of ways, boils down to treating the world's inhabitants, both human and non-human, with the same kindness and consideration. This starts with a living wage that allows workers to enjoy the many gifts life has to offer outside of work including family, friends, and of course, the outdoors.
Angie Robinson, the President of Darby Communications explains the importance of a work-life balance, “We have a gal right now who actually just went on tour for two and a half weeks with a band, and she's working remotely and combining time off with that and working half-days. Another employee went down to part-time and did van life across the country for three months, and then came back full-time. We try to encourage people; if there's an adventure they can do in their lives, we try to help them do that while also maintaining their work here.”
Increasingly, American workers must work multiple jobs to make ends meet, which means these workers and their families have little time to participate in civic affairs or community organizations. Outdoor companies need everyday people on their side to survive, and environmentalists need a mass citizens' movement to protect the environment. Paying their workers a living wage is a great way to start by keeping folks engaged, educated, and free to use their time and resources to focus on issues like racial inequality or climate justice.
Outdoor companies also understand that paying a living wage will allow employees to be able to afford housing near where they work. This means less commuting and diminished greenhouse gas emissions. Ultimately, it means less of an impact on the environment, which intersects with their environmental missions, as well as ensuring basic needs are met. Angie Robinson, from Darby Communications explains, “We want our employees to be able to buy a house eventually, and [to] be able to have a car that runs and be able to do the activities in the community that they want to do, whether it's joining the climbing gym or whatever it may be that they wanna spend their money on. We want to make sure that they don't feel so restricted that they can't do the things that they enjoy.”
Higher wages also means more money in communities, which is better for everyone involved, including the outdoor companies themselves. When more money trickles down through communities, people have more money to spend on outdoor gear, travel, and recreational activities, which is good for business. At a higher level, local governments can provide more green spaces in urban areas and more resources to the community as a whole. It’s a win-win.
It’s not all financially motivated, though. Many outdoor companies and nonprofits want to help people get outside and want to see positive change. Take it from SJ Lupert, Executive Director of the Venture Out Project, “Our mission at its core is to provide outdoor community connections for queer people. It started out really as a wilderness organization,” describes Lupert. “Our goal as an organization in the next few years is to have every queer person be able to access the outdoors within a drive of their home. We're doing that by really focusing on people in their communities that have experience and are at a comfort level with being outdoors where they are able to introduce other queer people into the outdoors.”
Recognizing and understanding barriers in the workforce as well as in outdoor recreation for underrepresented communities is an essential step for every outdoor company looking to treat employees fairly. Beyond this, paying workers a living wage is simply the moral thing to do. Living in the 21st century is hard enough without being deprived of basic human rights which includes earning a living wage in return for labor. The preamble to the Constitution of the International Labour Organization identifies an adequate living wage as one of the conditions for universal and lasting peace based on social justice.
Evelyn Andrade, the Executive Director at EarthCorps, reflects, “Ethical pay is important to me – that was one of the first things I did was increase everyone’s salary.” Andrade also remarked on where she’d like to see the future go: “I hope that people start really shifting to thinking about need-based salaries and equity, and like what that means for white staff compared to people of color.”
While there’s still certainly room to grow, outdoor companies still surpass other industries in terms of equitable pay and employee satisfaction. But where do we go from here? As enjoyers of the outdoors and compassionate individuals, it is essential we recognize the inherent intersectional nature of social and environmental issues and workers’ rights. We must continue to advocate for better livelihoods for the employees who work tirelessly to get us outside. We must advocate for better wages through political activism, discussing pay with our coworkers to increase transparency, unionizing, and advocating for ourselves.