We are a Living Wage Employer!
We are very proud to have been certified as a Living Wage Employer. I wanted to share a short article about why we chose to do this and what it means to pay a real living wage.
The news lately has been dominated by rising costs and the fear that many will not be able to make ends meet. Being an ethical business owner isn't just about looking after the planet, it's also about looking after our people and the local community. A significant part of this is paying a fair wage to everyone who works for us.
The National Living Wage, set by the government, is different to the Real Living Wage. Paying a Real Living Wage means paying all staff and contractors an hourly rate that is based on the true cost of living, including rent rates, fuel, energy and food. The Living Wage Foundation is an independent organisation which calculates this rate using the latest evidence for how much the necessary things in life actually costs for an average UK family.
Paying this higher hourly rate to staff obviously helps them greatly. It ensures that they are able to do more than just survive. However, over 20% of families in the UK still don't receive a real living wage, it is a wage that is paid voluntarily and is not yet law.
Since the Living Wage Foundation was formed great strides have been made in ensuring that people are not exploited. Getting accredited means that we are held to account and must increase our wages in line with the Real Living Wage when this is calculated annually. It also means that we are putting our support and our name to the cause of fair wages for all to help push for this wage to become law.
Thank you for reading!
Katie
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