Living Wage Scotland aims to increase the number of employees in Scotland who receive the real Living Wage – currently £10.90. Living Wage Employers commit to paying the independently calculated Living Wage rates to all directly employed staff as well as contracted third-party staff.
Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 60,000 people in Scotland. It has put over £370 million extra into the pockets of low-paid Scottish workers.
There are currently more than 3,000 Living Wage accredited employers in Scotland. This includes over 200 employers in the hospitality and tourism sector.
Living Wage accreditation celebrates employers that choose to go further than the government minimum, by paying the real Living Wage to all relevant workers.
Accreditation is the process where an employer applies for the licence rights to display the Living Wage employer mark. This mark is a recognised symbol of responsible business practice. It’s designed to help employers signal their support of the Living Wage movement to staff, stakeholders, and consumers.
In a recent survey, 93% of businesses said being Living Wage accredited benefited their business. Key benefits include:
Payment of a real Living Wage allows workers to better meet their everyday needs and feel that their hard work is recognised by their employer.
The hospitality sector is often considered low-paying and the challenges facing the industry at present have been well documented, so ensuring we have strong staff retention is even more important. By paying the real Living Wage, we can continue to show that hospitality offers a great career path with excellent job prospects and pay that matches.
Employers must enter into a licence agreement with the Living Wage Foundation to say that the real Living Wage is paid to all relevant workers. This will give you the rights to display the Living Wage employer mark.
If you're interested in becoming accredited the process is straightforward. Help is available from Living Wage Accreditation Officers throughout the journey.
Accreditation is suitable for businesses of all sizes. If you have a complex supply chain, Living Wage Scotland can work with you to discuss the criteria and how this will affect your business.
Interested in finding out more about how the real Living Wage can benefit your organisation? Please contact Anna Hirvonen on anna.hirvonen@povertyalliance.org or visit the website.
Visit the Living Wage Scotland website.The hospitality and tourism sector has been hit hard by unprecedented challenges over the past three years. From COVID-19 to Brexit, rising energy and supply costs to recruitment challenges.
Attracting and retaining staff is a key priority for the industry with record staff vacancies in 2022. Becoming Living Wage accredited can help address these recruitment challenges. It can also strengthen job satisfaction and morale among employees in the industry.
Committing to a rate based on the cost of living can aid campaigns to present hospitality as a rewarding sector. A sector where more than 48.5% of employees are paid less than the real Living Wage.
Staff outside the Royal Marine Hotel.
The impact of being paid the real Living Wage is massive as I will no longer need to work extra hours to be able to make ends meet, giving me a great work-life balance and having an impact on my health and happiness, I also believe that my employer will benefit of having a more engaged and healthier team.
Manorview own and operate 11 hospitality venues. It won the Trailblazer Award at the Living Wage Scotland Awards in 2022. By paying the real Living Wage, Manorview has increased team satisfaction throughout its venues.
This has in turn led to increased customer satisfaction scores and revenue.
Accredited Living Wage Employers in the hospitality and tourism industry in Scotland include:
The real Living Wage gives us a fair pay structure to work from. We want to demonstrate to people that hospitality is an excellent, rewarding industry to be part of, and we firmly believe that committing to paying the Living Wage is one very important way we can show this.
