W M Donald Ltd is the latest Living Hours accredited employer in Scotland. The Stonehaven-based company has been an accredited Living Wage employer since 2021.
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. W M Donald Ltd is the 14th 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.
Rachel O’Donnell, HR Manager for W M Donald Ltd, says, “We value every member of our team and becoming a Living Hours accredited employer cements that message for everyone who is part of the W M Donald family. The team continue to go above and beyond so it seems only right that they receive guaranteed hours every week. We want our team to know that we recognise their ongoing efforts and continued commitment to W M Donald and being a Living Hours employer and a Living Wage employer re-affirms that.”
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 W M Donald Ltd 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.”