Molke is a Scottish manufacturer and retailer of fun, non-wired underwear and swimwear. The idea for Molke began in 2016 with one woman, a desire for comfortable bras and a sewing machine in her kitchen. After drawing out the pattern with her kids’ colouring pens, Kirsty set to making a comfortable and colourful bra that she was soon selling to other women looking for the same comfort and support. With the help of her friends, she designed the bras to be suitable for a wide range of sizes. Ros joined to help Kirsty in 2017 and Molke was officially born.
Molke became an accredited Living Wage employer in 2019, demonstrating leadership within a female dominated and notoriously low-paying industry. As a women-led business, Molke strive to create a positive impact on people whilst limiting their impact on the environment.
This announcement of their commitment to Living Hours further demonstrates the importance they place on setting standards on fair work.
Living Hours accreditation requires employers to pay the real Living Wage to all their employees over the age of 18 and commit to providing at least four weeks’ notice for every shift, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this notice period.
Living Hours employers also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours every week (unless the worker requests otherwise), and a contract that accurately reflects hours worked.
Research published last year by the Living Wage Foundation showed that 11% of workers in Scotland are in insecure work and paid below the Living Wage. This is approximately 300,000 workers. The Living Hours standard was created to ensure that people have predictable working patterns and income, enabling them to better plan their lives.
In July 2021 Living Wage Scotland began delivering the Living Hours accreditation programme to increase the number of Scottish employers recognised for offering Living Hours alongside a real Living Wage. Molke is the 17th employer to benefit from the scheme which is delivered through the Living Wage Scotland programme at the Poverty Alliance and is funded by the Scottish Government.
Kirsy Lunn from Molke said:
“Being a Living Hours Accredited employer is extremely important to us at Molke, putting our staff first and ensuring they are respected and treated fairly. Now, more than ever, paying a living wage and offering stable, guaranteed working hours is so important. This shouldn’t be something to be celebrated, it should be the basic level.”
Christine McCaig from Living Wage Scotland said:
“There are over 2800 Scottish-based employers that are committed to paying at least the real Living Wage, and it’s fantastic to see Molke take further steps to protect their workers from low pay and insecure work by becoming Living Hours accredited.”
The values that led them to commit to the real Living Wage are the same values that have led to their expanded commitment to fair work at a time when workers need it most.”