Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110

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Enhance Office Cleaning wins Living Wage Champion Award

Enhance Office Cleaning has today been announced as a winner of the Living Wage Champion Awards 2018 award for Recognised Service Providers.

The 2018 Living Wage Champion Awards celebrate individuals and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to the Living Wage movement, and are proudly sponsored by Aviva, KPMG and the City of London Corporation.

The service provider sector is a traditionally low pay industry. However, Living Wage Recognised Service Providers aim to buck this trend by spreading the benefits of the real Living Wage throughout their contracts. They commit to always supply a Living Wage bid alongside every market rate submittal to clients to champion fair pay within the sector - ending low pay, one contract at a time.

Enhance was one of the first cleaning companies to embrace the idea of a fair wage for low-paid workers in London. Over the past eight years the company has consistently promoted to its clients the benefits of paying the real Living Wage. The majority of Enhance's business is within London and 96% of Enhance's staff, working on client contracts, are paid the London Living Wage or higher.

Enhance hasn't stopped there, and has worked hard to promote the Living Wage to others. This includes launching a public affairs campaign to promote the Living Wage, resulting in over 50 media articles, and regularly presenting to industry leaders on the benefits of the Living Wage.

"Paying a real Living Wage to our staff is a fundamental principle within our business and we owe a huge 'thank you' to our clients for their ongoing support with this policy," says Sandy Aird, managing director of Enhance:

"We're delighted to be recognised by winning the service providers Living Wage Champion Award 2018."

Tess Lanning, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, says of the win:

"Congratulations to Enhance on becoming a Living Wage Champion award winner. Employers like Enhance are leading the way in placing dignity and respect at the heart of their organisation. Over 4,300 employers have now signed up to the movement, and their leadership is making a profound difference to the lives of families and communities across the UK.

"Enhance's work in celebrating and championing the Living Wage has been vital to its success."

The awards were judged by an independent panel of business and community leaders.

* Dr Kaneez Shaid MBE, campaigner and chair of the Citizens UK Board of Trustees
* Rosie Gillham, Living Wage employee and campaigner
* Yvonne Roberts, freelance journalist, writer and broadcaster, The Observer
* Jane Gratton, head of business environment and skills policy at British Chambers of Commerce
* Matt Sparkes, head of corporate responsibility, Linklaters
* Tess Lanning, director of the Living Wage Foundation

The Living Wage is an hourly pay rate set independently, updated annually, and calculated according to the basic cost of living. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to what people need to make ends meet. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that choose to take a stand by ensuring their staff earn a wage that meets the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.

The UK Living Wage is currently �8.75 per hour. There is a separate London Living Wage rate of �10.20 per hour to reflect the higher costs of transport, childcare and housing in the capital. These figures are calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission, based on the best available evidence on living standards in London and the UK.

In April 2016 the Government introduced a higher minimum wage rate for all staff over 25 years of age inspired by the Living Wage campaign - even calling it the 'national living wage'.

However, the Government's 'national living wage' is not calculated according to what employees and their families need to live. Instead, it is based on a target to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020. Under current forecasts this means a rise to less than �9 per hour by 2020. For under 25s, the minimum wage rates also take into account affordability for employers.

The real Living Wage rates are higher because they are independently-calculated based on what people need to get by. That's why the Living Wage Foundation encourages all employers that can afford to do so to ensure their employees earn a wage that meets the costs of living, not just the government minimum.

The campaign for a real Living Wage began in East London, where cleaners and other low paid workers were working in the offices of city firms and banks. They were having to work two or three minimum wage jobs but still struggling to make ends meet. The campaign called on businesses to recognise the important role of these 'invisible' workers and pay them a real Living Wage.

Since then, committing to not outsource low pay has been a key part of joining the Living Wage movement. We recognise that service providers have a key part to play in this. By offering a Living Wage contract, service providers can champion fair pay to their clients and change the face of a traditionally low pay industry.

There are now thousands of Living Wage Employers who have all committed to ensure their regular third party contracted workers are paid the real Living Wage. There is an opportunity for service providers to work with these organisations by offering Living Wage contracts.

www.enhanceofficecleaning.com / www.livingwage.org.uk

31st May 2018