Paycare celebrates commitment to ‘real’ living wage
A Wolverhampton company is celebrating after becoming recognised as an official Living Wage responsible employer.
Paycare, a Health Cash Plan provider for businesses and individuals, has pledged to become part of the national Real Living Wage campaign and is voluntarily taking a stand to ensure employees earn a wage which is enough to live on.
The West Midlands has around 518,000 jobs paying less than the Real Living Wage and is a region with one of the highest proportions of jobs paying below this in the country (24 per cent).
Paycare employs 27 members of staff at its George Street head office and has joined the national campaign which recognises companies that pay their staff in excess of the minimum wage (£7.83 for 25 years and older), and goes further to meet the £9.00 an hour Real Living Wage (or £10.55 in London).
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 150,000 people and put over £600m extra into the pockets of low paid workers.
Kevin Rogers, chief executive of Paycare, explained: “As a not-for-profit dating back to 1874, Paycare has always been, and will continue to be, an organisation that operates with people at the very heart of all that it does. This accreditation is another positive step in us demonstrating to our team that we understand the pressures facing them in times of austerity, that their work is absolutely recognised, and that they play a vital role in our continued, collective success.”
Tess Lanning, director of Living Wage Foundation, said: “We’re delighted that Paycare has joined the movement of over 4,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as IKEA, Heathrow Airport, Barclays, Chelsea and Everton Football Clubs and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Paycare, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."
Paycare has helped individuals, families and businesses across the Black Country and Wolverhampton protect themselves against everyday healthcare costs and bills for more than 140 years.
