Highland and Moray-based travel agency Inverness Travel has become a Living Wage Foundation accredited employer after signing up to its real living wage scheme.
The agency has pledged to pay all of its 10 employees a salary that covers the actual cost of living, which exceeds the UK government’s current national living wage of £8.91 for those aged 23 and up, and those aged 18-23 are only paid a minimum wage of £6.56 to £8.36.
The real living wage is independently calculated each year by the Living Wage Foundation and is currently set at £9.50 for all employees aged 18 or over.
According to the agency, adopting this solidifies Inverness Travel’s commitment to investing in its staff and providing a welcoming working environment, in the hope that by creating an inviting proposition, new talent will want to enter the travel industry to learn the trade.
Scott Murray, who runs the business with his wife, commented that the travel industry has faced some incredibly challenging conditions over the last two years, with rules around international travel changing regularly, and that the agency team pulled together to support each other, customers, and the business through uncertainty.
He explained that he is so proud of all they have achieved, even when things were at their toughest, with conditions unsettling for those working within the industry, so he has made an effort to provide a consistent and dependable working environment for the team.
“Gaining real living wage accreditation is just the latest step in our commitment to providing an attractive employment package, not only to thank our hard-working team but also to attract new blood into the travel industry,” he said.
In addition to this, Inverness Travel provides staff with benefits such as discounted food and drink, cost-price travel, and an annual seven-day family trip allowance.
