Direct employees at Barratt Developments have been receiving the living wage for two years, but the organisation has gained accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation this month as a result of extending this provision out to its supply chain and sub-contractors.
This change was communicated to its workforce via the organisation's intranet and posters. The employer also set up a dedicated hotline for its supply chain and sub-contractors to get in touch if they were not receiving the correct amounts.
The living wage is currently set at £9.30 per hour in the UK, or £10.75 for employees working within London. Both rates are higher than the government-set minimum wage for over-25s of £8.21 per hour.
Rob Tansey, group HR director at Barratt Developments, said: “People are at the heart of our business. This is why it’s so important that everyone, from Barratt employees through to our suppliers and sub-contractors, receives a good amount of pay for their hard work.
"The housebuilding industry is currently facing a serious skills shortage, so if we are to attract and retain the best people, we need to pay well. By becoming a real living wage employer helps us to do that.”
Katherine Chapman, director at the Living Wage Foundation, added: “We’re delighted that Barratt Developments has joined the movement of nearly 6,000 responsible employers across the UK [that] voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on. Accredited businesses recognise that paying the real living wage is the mark of a responsible employer, and they believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay."
