Many linen, uniform and facility services business owners and managers are finding themselves short of the one thing they need to thrive and grow: Employees. The Bank of America recently estimated that 4.6 million people left the labor force during the pandemic—but only half are expected to rejoin it by the end of this year.

One reason for the shortage may be that we’re paying people not to work. Quite simply, for employees earning less than $32,000 annually, it’s more financially rewarding to accept federal and state aid than to take a job. After all, benefits for nonworkers now average ...