Co-working space business DeskLodge has become accredited as a living wage employer as part of a commitment to its workforce.
The commitment will see every DeskLodge employee receive a minimum hourly wage of £12, which is higher than the government minimum for people over the age of 21 that currently stands at £11.44 per hour.
DeskLodge is based in south west England, where the Living Wage Foundation has calculated that 11.8% of all jobs, equivalent to 285,000 roles, pay less than the real living wage.
The Living Wage Foundation calculates the rate according to the costs of living and what individuals need to make ends meet. It offers a voluntary benchmark for employers that want to ensure their staff earn a wage that meets everyday costs and pressures, as opposed to just the government minimum. A UK worker paid the real living wage earns an extra £1,092 a year more than someone earning the national living wage.
Jamie Ellis, managing director at DeskLodge, said: “As a business, we have been paying our team the living wage for a long time, so we are delighted to now be recognised by the Living Wage Foundation as an accredited employer. Our team are the heartbeat of our workspaces and make DeskLodge the wonderful place to work from that it is. It’s only right the team receive a fair wage backed up by the work the Living Wage Foundation do.
Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, added: “We’re delighted that DeskLodge has joined the movement of more than 14,000 responsible employers across the UK which voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on. These businesses recognise that paying the real living wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like DeskLodge, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”
