GP Plantscape is a family owned and managed business focusing on commercial interior and exterior landscaping. The company has been operating in Lanark since 1997 and offers clients a range of services including festive displays and winter gritting services.
As a service delivery company, the team at GP Plantscape are the heart and the soul of the business and for Director Alison Gilchrist valuing every single member of the team has been a priority from the beginning.
Fostering a culture of autonomy, teamwork and respect has ultimately also contributed to the success of the company and the GP Plantscape team has won multiple landscaping and plant maintenance awards and was also chosen as Employer of the Year in the 2012 Lanarkshire Business Awards.
The values driving the company are largely about “doing the right thing”, so despite the incredible challenges brought on by a global pandemic, GP Plantscape made the decision to become an accredited Living Wage employer in December 2020 and completed the process in January 2021.
The Process
The past year has been extremely turbulent for many businesses and the team at GP Plantscape has had to pull together to ensure minimal disruptions to service delivery throughout the pandemic. For Alison, it was important that employees also receive a fair wage for their dedication and hard work and the company’s commitment to a Living Wage has been welcomed by all.
“Our employees were extremely grateful of the demonstration from the Company to make this type of commitment when it was perhaps least expected. It has been a hard year for everyone, and we wanted to ensure that our team members were being paid a fair wage for the job they were doing and the commitment they were making to the company, especially through such a difficult period.” – Alison Gilchrist, Director
With the help of the Living Wage Scotland team, Alison was able to complete the accreditation process quickly and easily online and after increasing the salaries of approximately 20 employees, the whole GP Plantscape team are now paid at or above the real Living Wage of £9.50 an hour. The company will also continue their internal annual salary reviews to ensure that the Living Wage rate is matched each year.
The Benefits
Although the decision to become and accredited Living Wage employer was about improving the standard of living for employees, Alison also believes that it will bring significant benefits to the business as a whole.
“We anticipate that by becoming a real Living Wage employer, our employees will feel valued and respected and continue to be committed to working hard for the company and our customers. We also anticipate that by becoming a real Living Wage employer we will be able to attract a high calibre of staff for future positions.” – Alison Gilchrist, Director
As well as improving the quality of service delivery and recruitment, Alison anticipates that the accreditation will help the company compete for future contracts.
“It will also help us when bidding for contracts, as some of our commercial customers stipulate their supplier must be real Living Wage accredited.” – Alison Gilchrist, Director
The benefits of accreditation have also been recognised by the team at GP Plantscape and for Interior Service Technician, Russell Dickson, the extra wages are making a positive difference.
“I feel more valued as an employee and outside of work I can now do more of the things I love with my family. I think it is a really good move for the company as it will only help boost staff morale across the board.” – Russell Dickson, Interior Service Technician
Overall, by seeking accreditation during such a turbulent time for businesses across the globe, GP Plantscape is also making a statement about the importance of a Living Wage as we begin to build back.
“I think that by becoming accredited now, it makes more of a statement about the continued health of our business and our commitment to ensuring our teams are being paid a fair wage for the work they do.” – Alison Gilchrist, Director