This Living Wage Week, Hanover Scotland are celebrating becoming an accredited Living Wage employer. Their Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at Hanover Scotland, including regular workers employed through third-party suppliers receive the real Living Wage. This rate is higher than the government minimum.
Hanover Scotland has been housing and supporting people for over 40 years. Their core purpose is to help older people feel safe and secure at home and to live fulfilling and independent lives. While headquartered in the City of Edinburgh, they currently manage over 5,000 homes and employ over 600 employees throughout Scotland.
Sarah Steel, Head of HR and OD, Hanover Scotland said:
“We are delighted to be a Living Wage employer because it underscores our commitment to supporting our employees and enhancing their quality of life. By ensuring fair pay, we empower our workforce to thrive both personally and professionally. Our vision for our people was set out in our strategy and business plan pledge that “we will be recognised as a great employer, our employees will feel supported, equipped and empowered to deliver a high-quality customer experience.
Being recognised as Living Wage employer comes ahead of plan for us and recognises the commitment we made to our employees as part of our full scale pay framework review undertaken in 2022. We believe that everyone deserves a fair wage, and we are proud to champion this important cause.”
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Jane Meagher said:
“Over 80,000 people are living in poverty in Edinburgh and many have been pushed into deprivation because of insecure work. It really can happen to any of us and that is why the Living Wage is such a powerful tool.
“We work with employers to encourage them to sign up, and it feels like we’re witnessing real progress. Edinburgh is home to 20% of Scotland’s Living Wage network. That’s over 750 businesses including Hanover Scotland who are now accredited.
“The next few months and years will be critical because we know businesses want to help tackle low pay and insecure work but that they are under increasing pressure. As the Living Wage rate rises to £12.60 an hour, Living Wage Week provides an opportunity to showcase how far we’ve come, while acknowledging that more work is needed. We need to help employers to make the Living Wage the norm.”
Kat Brogan, Managing Director, Mercat Tours said:
“In Edinburgh, the Living Wage movement continues to grow. This is a massive achievement, particularly as many employers are facing difficult circumstances with rising business costs. In this context, committing to the real Living Wage can seem daunting. Yet, it is more important than ever.
“Living costs also continue to rise. Workers are struggling to keep up and are finding themselves unable to afford necessities like food and heating. By accrediting as Living Wage employers, organisations are supporting their employees and helping to reduce levels of in-work poverty. Living Wage Week provides the perfect opportunity to highlight this.”
Rachel Morrison-McCormick, Living Wage Projects Coordinator said:
“We’re delighted that Hanover Scotland has become an accredited Living Wage employer. They join a growing movement over 3750 employers in Scotland who want to go beyond the minimum and ensure workers have what they need.
It’s inspiring that more employers are investing in the real Living Wage and recognising it can help create a happier, healthier and more motivated workforce.”
In Scotland, 91% of all jobs pay at least the real Living Wage, this is higher than any other UK nation. Despite this, nearly 1 in 10 jobs still pay less than the real Living Wage which equates to around 234,000 jobs.
The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate calculated according to the costs of living. Employers choose to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis, recognising the value of their workers and ensuring that a hard day’s work receives a fair day’s pay.
Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 68,000 people in Scotland and put almost £600 million extra into the pockets of low paid Scottish workers.