By Iain Russell, Living Wage Scotland Accreditation Officer As new statutory National Minimum Wage rates come into effect on the 1st of April, including changes to the government’s National Living Wage, now is a good time to reflect on the differences between the minimum legal rates in the UK and the voluntary real Living Wage. … Read more
New research has found that after five years, the National Living Wage (NLW) has significantly boosted pay for the low paid, but a large gap remains between the government’s minimum wage for over 23s and a real Living Wage based on the cost of living. New analysis by the Living Wage Foundation assessing the number … Read more
By Gregor Sey, Company Director of Boozy Events Boozy Events is an award-winning drinks company based in Aberdeen and we specialise in cocktail making classes and pop-up cocktail bars. During the pandemic, we successfully adapted our offering and are now delivering virtual drink experiences to customers across the globe. The interactive and engaging cocktail making … Read more
By Libby Eavis, Company Director of Grandview House & Mains House For many years, the female dominated health and social care sector has been seen as an unskilled workforce and has suffered from underfunding for this reason. It is now time we started looking at this sector, and women’s role within it differently. Each role … Read more
by Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to reflect on progress made on gender equality, and to highlight the need for further action. On wages, the most recent ONS labour market data shows improvements on the number of workers in Scotland earning at least the real Living Wage – now over 84%, positioning Scotland as the best performing of the four UK nations … Read more
New research Life on Low Pay in the Pandemic from the Living Wage Foundation shows the impact of low pay during the pandemic, with two-thirds of UK workers earning below the real Living Wage experiencing a fall in earnings since the pandemic began. Over a quarter of low-paid workers in the UK (amounting to over … Read more
Share the love with Living Wage employers this Valentine’s Day. Our Valentine’s Gift guide 2021 has something for everyone, whether you are spending the special day with your loved one or planning a virtual celebration. The perfect gift keeps on giving — by choosing to support a Living Wage employer this Valentine’s Day, you’ll also … Read more
As 2020 draws to a close, it’s timely to reflect on our experience of the past year, and the impact of the pandemic on the Living Wage movement in Scotland. At the beginning of the year, the Living Wage Scotland team had set out to increase uptake of Living Wage employer accreditation amongst small businesses, childcare providers, public sector ‘anchor’ institutions and the third sector. Of course, we had not anticipated a global pandemic and in March, we temporarily paused … Read more
On 25th November, the UK Chancellor announced that the National Living Wage will rise from £8.72 to £8.91 from April 2020 – a 2.2% increase – and will be extended to 23-year old’s for the first time. Prior to this, only workers aged 25 and over are legally entitled to the national living wage. An increase in statutory wage rates is welcome, although it is important to note that statutory wage rates are not … Read more
It’s been our first digital Living Wage Week, and the movement is stronger than ever. Thank you to our network of over 1900 accredited Living Wage employers for your support, and a warm welcome to the 200 new employers that have joined us since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. In Living Wage Week 2020, the new rate of £9.50 … Read more