Recognising one year as a Living Wage Employer

The NRL Group, including Linx colleagues,  are proud to celebrate their first year as a Living Wage Employer. Managed by the Living Wage Foundation, it is a voluntary movement that businesses can opt to join and pay their colleagues a more realistic and manageable wage.

Who are the Living Wage Foundation?

The Living Wage Foundation is a non-profit organisation that campaigns for a Real Living Wage. Companies who join the foundation volunteer to pay this higher living wage, as well as paying a membership fee which helps to the Living Wage Foundation continue their important work.

The foundation believes that people who work hard should be able to have enough money left over after paying their bills and putting food on the table for themselves and their family. That no-one should have to work full time yet still live below an acceptable standard of living because they don’t earn enough money in wages alone.

The Living Wage Foundation and NRL

The NRL Group has a culture of always striving to do the right thing. We believe in doing the right thing for our clients, our employees and our community.

Commenting about the business’ decision to join the foundation, NRL Group’s CEO David Redmayne said,

“The decision to become a Living Wage Employer was an easy one for us. That’s because at the heart of everything we do is a desire to ensure we’re doing the best we can. By our clients and most certainly by our people who work across our operations. We want to know that they are able to live on a manageable salary, and we give them support through a range of initiatives such as the Real Living Wage, wellbeing support and help with reducing the cost of everyday purchases such as their weekly shop through our benefits scheme.

As an organisation we’re also committed to supporting local communities through our recruitment outreach programmes and community partnerships, while also ensuring that all colleagues are treated fairly within the workplace including being paid a fair wage for their hard work.”

What it means to be a Living Wage Employer

Members of the Living Wage Foundation, including the NRL Group, believe that colleagues should be paid a fair and manageable as an absolute minimum.

It also sends out a clear message for candidates considering applying to work with Living Wage Employers – that the company cares about their wellbeing by opting to pay above the Government’s minimum rate of pay.

What is the Government’s national living wage?

The national living wage was a new minimum wage introduced by the government in 2016. It’s £9.50 per hour (23 years and over), which is higher than the national minimum wage for people from school leaver age to 22 years old, which currently ranges from £4.81-£9.18.

The Government’s living wage is calculated annually and is designed to be the minimum hourly rate required to cover the cost of living in the UK. It faces criticism though, that it does not keep up with the rising costs people are facing; for example rent has increased faster than inflation since 2010.

What is the current real living wage set by the Living Wage Foundation?

The current Real Living Wage set by the Living Wage Foundation is £10.90 per hour. This figure is higher than the Government’s national minimum wage rate because it takes into account other costs such as housing and. It also assumes that people should be able to afford more than just a cheap food shop – with a little extra left in their wage package to afford a few treats for them and their family.

Within London, this Real Living Wage is £11.95 per hour – as the foundation recognise that the minimum people earn in London needs to be higher to reflect the increase in essential expenditure such as rent. In comparison, the Government’s national living wage does not have a London supplement.

Who can become a living wage employer?

Anyone can become a Living Wage Employer. Members will agree to pay their employees the Real Living Wage as a minimum hourly rate, and make annual adjustments each time the wage is analysed and reviewed by the foundation.

You can find out more about becoming a Living Wage Employer on the Living Wage Foundation website