no-brainer noun Informal; something that requires or involves little or no mental effort.
The earliest use of this hyphenated favourite dates back to 1950s’ California. However present-day Scotland offers an example of what a ‘no-brainer’ actually looks like.
We joined the Living Wage Campaign in the early years of The Lines Between. It was defined as ‘a movement of businesses, organisations and citizens who believe a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay’. Accreditation was a no-brainer for our social research company. We wanted to be part of a national campaign with far-reaching impacts – one which reflects our values and would help us create the most supportive environment for our growing staff team.
The Living Pension movement was launched one year ago, and for us, accreditation was a natural next step. Research by the Resolution Foundation found that four in five workers, and 95% of low-paid workers, are not saving enough for a decent retirement. Hammering this home, our research for Independent Age last year explored the lived experience of low income in later life, and the findings were stark. Small pension pots have a direct negative impact on quality of life in later years.
At The Lines Between we believe it is right for us to help to provide stability and security for all of our staff, now and in the future. Signing up to and achieving a standard which sets out the minimum annual contribution needed for staff to achieve a Living Pension through an average working life – and committing to enrolling new employees in this scheme – was an important step for us to take.
For us, accreditation is a commitment to our team and a way to support them to look after themselves. Higher employer pension contributions have positive financial impacts for staff In response to the employer pension increase, over half of our team were inspired to enhance their own contributions, and overall their pension pots will be larger.
We also see multiple benefits for the company itself from attaining Living Pension accreditation:
- Wellbeing and productivity – staff who feel valued and supported are more motivated, more likely to be productive and more likely to stay with us;
- Attracting staff – accreditation is part of an appealing employment package. Our first recruitment round since accreditation attracted a record-breaking numbers of applicants. In turn, the ability to attract highly desirable candidates enhances our work and reputation;
- Leadership – we aspire to champion progress in our sector. Our accreditation supports this and encourages new partnerships.
Our Living Wage and Living Pension accreditation reflects principles we are proud of, and we promote the movement wherever possible. We have talked about the Awards on social media, pinned the logo to our website, and used it to engage with the 2000+ individuals who follow the company and our Managing Director on Linked In. We’ve also enjoyed supporting the Living Pension campaign indirectly. Our staff have participated in a Living Wage Scotland focus group, offering employee perspectives to the Living Pension team, and we will soon be reflecting on our experiences with Living Pension accreditation at a session on ‘How to be an employer of choice’.
Running a company involves decisions of all shapes and sizes, every day. While our involvement in the Living Wage and Living Pension campaigns is far-reaching for our company and individual staff, it was an easy decision to make – a real no-brainer.
Lorraine Simpson, Managing Director and Mike Nicholson, Senior Researcher
The Lines Between