News
Proud to support the real living wage
We’ve joined the independent movement to support fairer pay for employees nationwide…
There’s always been a minimum wage but the Living Wage Foundation is taking fairness one step further. The REAL Living Wage is an initiative that ensures a fair wage for all employees, wherever they live. It goes above and beyond the statutory minimum wage for school leavers (£8.60) and the national living wage for over 21-year-olds (£11.44) to give people the amount of money they actually need to live, based on regional living expenses.
The Real Living Wage is calculated according to the cost of living, based on a basket of household goods and services, which means employers commit to a minimum of £12 per hour across the UK and £13.15 in London to ensure families don’t go short.
The Real Living Wage is good for business
It isn’t mandatory for businesses to implement, so it’s very encouraging to see so many high-profile names in the FTSE 100 agreeing to honour it. Employers include Nationwide, Google, Ikea, Lush, Nestlé and KPMG, as well as thousands of small to medium-sized businesses, including us!
Any business can sign up to become an accredited employer and show they support the Real Living Wage’s commitment to fair pay. In doing so, many companies have reported positive benefits:
- Positively impacts brand profile
- Boosts staff morale and motivation
- Helps brands remain competitive
- Increases staff retention and recruitment
- Improves quality of job applications
- Helps to secure contracts and funding
An incredible 94% of employers reported having benefitted from becoming accredited. 90% of consumers were more likely to buy products and services from an employer who pays the Living Wage and 93% of university students say they want to work for a Living Wage employer.
The welfare and well-being of our staff is incredibly important to us. We’re proud to show our support for such a worthwhile initiative. If you’d like to join us in becoming an accredited Real Living Wage employer simply visit their website. It only takes a few minutes to do the right thing and join over 14,000 likeminded businesses campaigning for a fair deal in the UK.