an employee currently earning $10.85 per hour has been awarded a 3.5 percent merit raise. What will the employee's hourly salary be with this increase?

10.85 * 1.035 = ?

11.22975

To calculate the employee's new hourly salary with the merit raise, follow these steps:

Step 1: Calculate the dollar amount of the merit raise.
Multiply the current hourly wage by the merit raise percentage:
Merit Raise = Current Hourly Wage * Merit Raise Percentage

In this case:
Merit Raise = $10.85 * 3.5% = $0.38 (rounded to the nearest cent)

Step 2: Add the merit raise to the current hourly wage to find the new hourly salary.
New Hourly Salary = Current Hourly Wage + Merit Raise

In this case:
New Hourly Salary = $10.85 + $0.38 = $11.23

Therefore, the employee's hourly salary with the 3.5 percent merit raise will be $11.23 per hour.