Facebook raises minimum pay for cafeteria workers to $15 per hour

NEW YORK — Facebook raised wages for its contract workers, such as cafeteria staff and janitors, to a minimum of $15 per hour amid rising tension over the wage gap between the technology sector's elite and the lower-paid workers.

Contractors will also receive a minimum of 15 days of paid vacation days and a $4,000 new child benefit for parents who do not receive parental leave, Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said in a Wednesday post on Facebook.

"Taking these steps is the right thing to do for our business and our community," Sandberg wrote.

Facebook implemented the wage increase for some workers at its Menlo Park headquarters as of May 1. It will work to expand the policy within the year to its substantial vendors, who have more than 25 employees and are based in the United States, she said.

The company declined to say how many contract workers it employs or name any of its vendors. It initially had planned to announce the change on May 1, when Sandberg's husband, SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg, died unexpectedly during an exercise accident.

As debates rage in Congress and state legislatures over whether to raise minimum wages and help mitigate a growing income gap, several corporations have taken steps to improve compensation for service workers, including Walmart, Costco and Starbucks.