About
"Living Wage Employer Award is a new and much anticipated mark of socially responsible business practice." - President of London First and Vice-Chairman of Business in the Community

The Living Wage Campaign was launched by community alliance London Citizens in 2001. Since then it has lifted over 5,000 families out of working poverty and encourages over 100 organisations to become Living Wage Employers. The Living Wage Employer mark is accredited by Citizens UK, the national home of community organising, and funded by City Parochial Foundation.

FAQs

What is a Living Wage Employer?

A Living Wage Employer ensures that all employees including agency and contracted staff are paid at least the Living Wage of £7.60/hour in London and £7.14/hour outside London.

What are the benefits of being an accredited Living Wage Employer?

Being an accredited Living Wage Employer demonstrates a commitment to responsible employment and procurement practice. The Living Wage Employer mark is increasingly sought after by graduates and in public sector tenders.

What is the Living Wage?

The Living Wage is the minimum pay level required to provide a low cost but acceptable standard of living for a family. The national minimum wage (NMW) is not enough to live on in the UK whereas the Living Wage is worked out according to the real cost of living. In London the official Living Wage is £7.60 per hour (GLA 2009 ). Outside London, the best national approximation is £7.14 per hour (MIS, Loughborough University 2010).

What are the benefits of the Living Wage?

Paying a Living Wage increases staff loyalty and productivity. See here for a summary of the business case and here for the in-depth cases studies (Queen Mary University, KPMG). The Living Wage has a positive impact on the quality of life of staff and knock-on benefits in the wider community.

What is the history of the Living Wage Campaign?

The Living Wage Campaign was launched by London Citizens in 2001. Since then the campaign has brought over £25million into the pockets of low-paid workers.

Who are CITIZENS UK?

CITIZENS UK is the primary broad-based organising movement in Britain and Ireland. By building powerful and diverse community alliances, CITIZENS UK enables communities to work together for the common good.