Photo credit: Emma Boyd
One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) has become the latest accredited Living Hours employer in Scotland.
One Parent Families Scotland work to provide support and resources to single parents, aiming to enable single parent families to achieve their potential, to reach a decent standard of living and contribute to Scottish society.
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.
One Parent Families Scotland has been an accredited Living Wage employer since 2014. This announcement of their commitment to Living Hours further demonstrates the importance they place on setting standards for fair work.
OPFS Chief Executive, Satwat Rehman said:
“At One Parent Families Scotland, we know that secure, fairly paid work is fundamental to family wellbeing. As an organisation committed to tackling poverty and inequality, becoming a Living Hours accredited employer reflects the values we promote every day through our work with single parents across Scotland.
“We are proud to build on our long-standing commitment as a Living Wage employer by ensuring our staff also benefit from greater security and predictability in their working lives. Fair work practices are essential in helping people balance work, caring responsibilities and family life, and we believe employers have an important role to play in creating that stability.”
Kelsey Spiers, Administration Assistant at OPFS said:
“Having secure and predictable hours has made a huge difference to my life as a working parent. In my previous role, I worked different shift patterns which made it difficult to arrange childcare.
“Knowing my working pattern in advance now helps me plan childcare, manage my finances and maintain a healthier balance between work and home life. It also means I am able to attend my children’s clubs, school events and activities more consistently, which is really important to me as a parent. It has reduced stress and given me more stability and security, which has had a really positive impact both personally and professionally.”
Rachel Morrison-McCormick, Projects Coordinator, Living Wage Scotland said:
“There are thousands of Scottish-based employers that are committed to paying at least the real Living Wage, and it’s fantastic to see One Parent Families Scotland 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.”
Research published by the Living Wage Foundation showed that over 9% of workers in Scotland are in insecure work and paid below the Living Wage. This is approximately 250,000 workers. The Living Hours standard was created to ensure that people have predictable working patterns and income, enabling them to better plan their lives.