When SSE became an accredited Living Wage employer in September 2013 we were only the eighth in Scotland to do so.
But now I’m proud to say the SLWAI has met – and passed – its very ambitious target of accrediting 500 Scottish Living Wage employers by March 2016.
The number in Scotland has gone from just 2.5% of the UK total to 22.5%, making Scotland the fastest growing Living Wage region in the UK. And this isn’t because of a slowdown of accreditations throughout the rest of the UK; in fact the opposite is true.
The Living Wage has become more than a campaign; it is movement of like-minded employers. Each motivated to make sure people who work for us are paid a rate that they can live a decent life, and in doing so, our businesses benefit from a loyal and committed workforce.
The relentlessly positive nature of the movement also makes it something employers want to join. And from my perspective I know the team at the SLWAI handle potential Living Wage employers very well. Confidential support and advice, with no strings attached, has allowed nervous employers to make the first steps with confidence.
Watching the Living Wage in Scotland develop at such a rate has been a pleasure but, with around 6 million workers in the UK still earning below the Living Wage, there’s a long way to go. Of course, a higher UK National Minimum Wage for over 25s is very welcome – but there is always room for employers to meet a higher voluntarily standard and pay a rate which means their employees will live a life free of poverty. Companies like ours that can pay the Living Wage, should.