Why we’re a real Living Wage employer
Originally posted to www.carnsight.com
I’ve always been keen to grow my business, but in a sustainable way.
Covid, global conflicts, teetering on the edge of a recession and a cost of living crisis have provided plenty of challenges along the way. But I know many are worse off. Almost 2.2 million women are working in low paid jobs and struggling to make ends meet in this country, as well as almost 1.5 million men.
That’s not just someone else’s problem. As business owners, it’s something we should all be aware of and eager to address. That’s one of the reasons we’ve signed up to the real Living Wage Foundation.
When I first started building a team, my model had to evolve, and wage growth was gradual. But I soon realised that investing in people was one of the most important things I could do. The business model simply wasn’t right if I couldn’t afford to pay people the right wage.
We’ve always paid people who come to us for work experience (except for those still at school) and we always pay interns. Joining the Living Wage foundation underscores that, and ensures we’ll carry on in the same vein.
The real Living Wage rates are higher than the government’s minimum wages because they are independently-calculated based on what people need to get by (there’s more about the methodology on their website).
Whereas the statutory minimum wage starts at just £8.60 an hour for the youngest workers, the real Living Wage is £12 for all (or £13.15 in London). The Living Wage Foundation exists to encourage all businesses to pay their employees a wage that meets the costs of living, not just the government minimum.
The Living Wage Foundation talks about there being a range of benefits when you sign up. These include recruitment, competitivity in the market and being more likely to attract investors. However, the main reason to commit is that it’s the right thing to do, for our society, our current generation and those to come.
The numbers speak for themselves. More than 460,000 employees have received a pay rise as a result of the Living Wage campaign to date. As well as thousands of small businesses, half of FTSE 100 brands and household names including Nationwide, Google, LUSH, Everton FC and Chelsea FC have signed up.
There’s still plenty more work to do and many more businesses that can join. You’ll find a lot more information on their website as well as case studies of people affected by low wages, and reports on the difference joining can make.
At Carnsight Communications we create strategies and campaigns to showcase our clients’ brilliant work through PR, content and social media. We help them get noticed by the right audience, at the right time. We specialise in creative agency PR.
