The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate that is voluntarily paid by nearly 6,000 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a fair day's pay for a hard day's work. Being a Living Wage employer means that not only do we pay the real living wage, which is higher than the government minimum, to all staff who we directly employ, but we also pay our contractors a living wage.
What is the real living wage?
In April 2016 the government introduced a higher minimum wage rate for all staff over 25 years of age inspired by the Living Wage campaign - even calling it the ‘national living wage’. However, the government's 'national living wage' is not calculated according to what employees and their families need to live. Instead, it is based on a target to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020. Under current forecasts, this means a rise to less than £9 per hour by 2020.
For under 25s, the minimum wage rates also take into account affordability for employers.
The real Living Wage rates are higher because they are independently calculated based on what people need to get by. That's why the Living Wage Foundation encourages all employers that can afford to do so to ensure their employees earn a wage that meets the costs of living, not just the government minimum. Now, over 180,000 employees have received a pay rise as a result of the Living Wage campaign.
You can find out more by visiting the Living Wage Foundation's website.
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