"Taking these steps is the right thing to do for our business and our community," wrote Sandberg, who returned to work at Facebook this week. "Women, because they comprise about two-thirds of minimum wage workers nationally, are particularly affected by wage adjustments. Research also shows that providing adequate benefits contributes to a happier and ultimately more productive workforce."
Facebook wouldn't disclose how many workers its changes will affect, but the number is likely in the hundreds as it includes kitchen staff, janitors, security guards and other workers who are employed by outside contractors and vendors to support its sprawling headquarters in Menlo Park and elsewhere in the United States.
Sandberg said the new standards were put in place May 1 for "some of our largest support teams" at the company's headquarters, and the company is planning to implement them with a broader set of U.S. vendors this year.
The new standards apply to Facebook's shuttle bus drivers, the company said. But the drivers voted to unionize earlier this year with the Teamsters. Rome Aloise, international vice president for Teamsters Local 853, said the starting wage in their contracts already exceeds $15 per hour, as does paid time off.
"But I do think that Facebook is exhibiting themselves to be responsible corporate citizens," he said. "(We're) hoping the rest of the tech companies will follow their lead."
At Google's Northern California campuses, support staff such as bus drivers, parking attendants, guards and cafe workers earn a minimum of $15 an hour, according to the company. The changes went into effect April 1, a month before Facebook's.
Google says it has also been working to reduce the number of split shifts that bus drivers have, which has been a major complaint for workers who must drive during morning and evening rush hour, leading to extraordinarily long days. The company is also pushing to increase driver pay to at least $24 per hour, with a 15 percent premium on top of that for those who work split shifts.
In March, Microsoft said it will require its U.S. suppliers to give employees who do work at the company at least 15 days of paid time off each year. The changes will be implemented over the next year.
"Facebook did the right thing in making sure that workers are paid a minimum of $15 an hour," said Kendall Fells, national organizing director of the Fight for $15. " If Facebook can raise pay to $15, so can McDonald's."