Scottish Autism, the largest provider of autism-specific services in Scotland, are celebrating their commitment to the real Living Wage.
The charity is part of a growing number of employers across Scotland and the UK that have pledged to pay staff a wage which has been independently calculated to meet the rising cost 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 52,000 people in Scotland and put over £310 million extra into the pockets of low paid workers.
The real Living Wage rate currently stands at £9.90 per hour for workers aged 18 and over and is re-calculated each November. While the National Living Wage for over 23s is £9.50 as of 1 April 2022 and the National Minimum Wage is £9.18 for 21–22-year-olds and £6.83 for 18–20-year-olds.
Scottish Autism became accredited in August 2021 but it’s a commitment that the charity wished to reaffirm as part of their recent recruitment campaign and at a time when the cost of living is rising.
Scottish Autism chief executive Dorry McLaughlin said:
“Paying the real Living Wage is a commitment which demonstrates how much we value our staff and the high standard of support they provide to autistic people here in Fife and across Scotland.
Scottish Autism is proud to join a growing number of employers in Scotland and the UK who pay their staff a wage which has been independently calculated based on the cost of living. We value our staff and reaffirm our commitment to paying them a fair wage.
As well as being a real Living Wage employer we also take tremendous pride in the training and learning experience we provide our colleagues, our career progression opportunities, and that the majority of our staff have remained with the charity for over 5 years.
We also believe in the power of the relationships that our colleagues form with their supported individuals to enable them to live healthy, happy and fulfilling lives. If you too believe in the power of relationships, we would love to hear from you.”
Gail Irvine, Living Wage Scotland manager, added:
“We’re delighted that Scottish Autism have reaffirmed their commitment to paying the real Living Wage. They are part of a growing movement of over 2,500 employers in Scotland who together want to ensure their workers have what they need to thrive.
Too many workers in Scotland are paid less than the real Living Wage and, at a time of rising costs, are struggling to stay afloat. The real Living Wage can offer protection from those rising costs.
We hope that Scottish Autism’s reaffirmation of their commitment will encourage other employers across Scotland to follow their example.”