Energy solutions group, SMS plc, has today announced its accreditation as a Living Hours Employer. The Glasgow-headquartered company’s Living Hours commitment will see its employees guaranteed:
- At least 4 weeks’ notice of shifts, with guaranteed payment if shifts are cancelled within this period;
- The right to a contract that reflects accurate hours worked;
- A minimum of 16 hours of work a week (unless the worker requests fewer).
Living Hours builds on SMS’s existing commitment of being an accredited real Living Wage Employer, which sees all employees receive a minimum hourly pay of the real Living Wage, currently £9.90 in the UK or £11.05 in London.
Living Wage Foundation research shows that there are 3.7 million people (12%) in the UK in low paid and insecure work and nearly a third (32%) of all UK workers in full or part-time employment are given less than a week’s notice of their shifts. That’s why the Living Wage Foundation has developed a new standard of what good looks like for those employers that can offer Living Hours alongside a real Living Wage. Over 40,000 UK workers are already covered by the Living Hours measures.
SMS, which employs more than 1,300 people across the UK and Ireland, is best known for the installation and operation of smart meters, battery storage systems, and other carbon reduction (CaRe) assets, and has been a Living Wage Employer since August 2019. The Group earlier this year also became a signatory of the Purpose Coalition’s ‘Purpose Goals’, a collective of private and public sector organisations committed to making positive impacts on communities through support of the UK Government’s levelling up agenda.
Judy Keir, Chief People Officer at SMS, said: “Becoming a Living Hours employer reinforces our commitment as a business to put our people first, ensuring that employees are provided with stability through a guaranteed number of work hours per week, alongside other measures. With the current cost-of-living crisis sadly impacting communities and households across the UK, this latest pledge builds on our existing commitment as a real Living Wage employer, guaranteeing our people fair pay for the brilliant work that they do.”
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that SMS has joined the movement of responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to provide their workers with Living Hours – secure, guaranteed hours and notice of shift patterns – alongside the real Living Wage.
“SMS join a growing list of businesses, including Aviva and SSE, committing to Living Hours. They, like SMS, recognise that jobs with decent pay and secure hours are essential to support workers through the current cost of living crisis.”