So, what’s the big deal? It means we, Fife Gingerbread, are committed to offering our staff safe and secure jobs!
Becoming a Living Hours Employer means we are committed to providing:
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📅 At least 4 weeks’ notice for every shift (and guaranteed payment if we need to cancel within that period).
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⏰ A minimum of 16 working hours every week (unless you prefer otherwise).
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đź“ť Contracts that truly reflect the hours worked, with that trusty 4-weeks notice.
Simple enough, right? Well, the road here had a few twists and turns!
At Fife Gingerbread, we’re on a double mission. We help lone parents find sustainable, secure jobs, and we also make sure we are practicing what we preach. Our people are our greatest asset, and we’re dedicated to implementing protective measures which help our employees stay out of in-work poverty. We’ve already got Living Wage accreditation, employee assistance programs, flexible working options, better pensions, and benchmarked salaries. But the Living Hours badge called for another opportunity to reflect on our practices.
We want to offer staff sustainable and secure employment, and ensuring a minimum of 16 hours for our staff was the next big step. During our accreditation journey, we identified two staff members working under 16 hours. One was our fantastic gardener, tending to our family-friendly allotment space for 8 hours a week, and the other was Lorna, our amazing cleaner, putting in 6 hours weekly at our bustling office.
Time to think outside the box! We sat down with Lorna to see if 16 hours worked for her and what she needed from us. She happily took on the extra hours, leading us to create a new Facilities Assistant role!
Lorna shared her experience, saying:
“Fife Gingerbread giving me a chance was a huge relief for my household. Before, I worried about getting back into work, but now that worry is gone. Even with 6 hours a week, I was happy, but the extra 10 hours making it 16 is fantastic! It helps with bills, unexpected expenses, and makes life less stressful. Hopefully, I’ll save enough for driving lessons. It also gets me out of the house and interacting with others. Everyone at Fife Gingerbread has been so helpful and welcoming. I feel like I’ve been here forever, and it’s a great feeling.”
We shared our new accreditation with the rest of our team and asked for their thoughts. One staff member said:
“It’s a positive step forward and sets the bar for other employers to follow.” Another chimed in, saying Fife Gingerbread is definitely “…practicing what we preach!”
As the Project Coordinator for our Lone Parents, Poverty & Work mission, I work with employers to find creative ways to support lone parents returning to work. Our Living Hours accreditation strengthens our reputation and shows how good employment practices can help combat child poverty. We’re not just wearing the badge for Living Hours; we’re spreading the word and leading the change. We hope to inspire other employers in Fife to follow our lead.
Currently, there are 68 employers in Scotland who are accredited with Living Hours, however Fife Gingerbread are the first and only employer in Fife at the moment! I spoke with Anna from Poverty Alliance who shared that the challenges vary across sectors and the standard can be harder to meet depending on funding or service demands. Anna and the Living Hours team work with each individual employer to support them with making the necessary changes to reach the requirements.
Navigating these accreditations and practices can be tricky, with unexpected hurdles. But being the best employer means progressive thinking and setting positive examples. This process was crucial for us to practice what we preach, promote good employment practices, and make a real difference in tackling employment poverty.
If you’re an employer in Fife who would like to learn more about how you could poverty proof your workplace, and work with us to connect with an amazing pool of talented lone parents then get in touch with Louise Park on 07719056314, or email me on louise.park@fifegingerbread.org.uk
You can read this blog on Fife Gingerbread’s website here.