It’s Living Wage Week and Hey Girls is proud to be part of the living wage movement!

As an accredited Real Living Wage employer, we ensure all our 21 employees are paid the living wage or more. We are also proud to say we employ two young people on the Kickstart scheme – the government initiative to get 16-24 year olds into the job market – the living wage of £9.53 per hour instead of the mandated national rate of £6.56!

What is the real living wage?

The real Living Wage is one of the clearest ways a supplier can demonstrate that it
adopts fair work practices. It should not be confused with the National Minimum Wage
(including the “national living wage”), which is the legal minimum an employer must pay
an employee and is set by the UK Government.

The real Living Wage is a voluntary wage rate of pay which is calculated by the
Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Independent Living Wage Commission.

These figures are calculated annually and announced in October/November. The real Living Wage applies to all employees 18 and over in recognition that young people face the same living costs as everyone else.

Benefits of paying the real Living Wage

Research shows that paying the real Living Wage helps businesses recruit and retain better staff, reduce absenteeism, encourage higher productivity and 93% of businesses say that Living Wage accreditation has improved their reputation.

Why the real Living Wage is needed?

• 467,000 people in Scotland don’t earn the real Living Wage.
• 182,000 children in Scotland live in poverty despite having one person in their
  household in work.

* Figures as at summer 2018

Calculating the real Living Wage

The real Living wage calculation takes into account the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Minimum Income Standard research in which members of the public identify what is needed for a minimum income standard of living.

This is then combined with an analysis of the actual cost of living, including essentials like rent, council tax, childcare, and transport costs for different family types to produce the hourly real Living Wage figure, sufficient to ensure that the recipient may enjoy an acceptable standard of living.

Celia Hodson, CEO & Founder of Hey Girls said: “We have been a long supporter of the real living wage and are proud bearers of the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation. People need to be able to live and we are committed to supporting our staff by supporting this vital scheme.

“Back in October, the Scottish Government announced that companies bidding to win contracts will have to pay the real living wage to its employees delivering that contract. This allows public sector contracts to tackle in-work poverty and promote fair work practices across the public, private and third sector where there is a risk of low pay. Paying the real living wage is good for employees and it’s good for business too.”

For more info on the real living wage, please visit https://www.livingwage.org.uk