The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD), Dundee City Council (pictured) and non-profit organisation Scotland Excel are among those recognised at the Living Wage Champion Awards 2018, held by The Living Wage Foundation.
The annual awards event, this year held on Wednesday 6 June 2018, recognises and celebrates organisations that have implemented voluntary living wage rates and done outstanding work to help promote the living wage in the UK.
The living wage is an independently set hourly rate of pay that is calculated according to the basic costs of living. Employers pay the living wage rate, which is updated annually, on a voluntary basis. The living wage is currently set at £8.75 an hour for employees working across the UK, and at £10.20 an hour for those based in London. The higher London living wage reflects the increased living costs associated with residing in the capital.
The voluntary living wage is distinct from the statutory national living wage, which is paid to employees aged 25 and over. The national living wage rate is currently set at £7.50 an hour.
The judges of the Living Wage Champion Awards 2018 include: Dr Kaneez Shaid MBE, campaigner and chair at the Citizens UK Board of Trustees; Rosie Gillham, living wage employee and campaigner; Yvonne Roberts, freelance journalist, writer and broadcaster at The Observer; Jane Gratton, head of business environment and skills policy at the British Chambers of Commerce; Matt Sparkes, head of corporate responsibility at Linklaters; and Tess Lanning, director at the Living Wage Foundation.
The 2018 awards were sponsored by Aviva, KPMG and the City of London.
The full list of winners is:
- Industry leadership award: Unlimited Potential, The Haven Wolverhampton and Penrose Care.
- Friendly funder award: People’s Health Trust.
- Recognised service provider award: Enhance Office Cleaning.
- Living wage innovation award, large organisations: the CIPD.
- Living wage innovation award, small organisations: Scotland Excel.
- Local authority leadership award: Dundee City Council.
- Employees’ choice award: Childrensalon Team.
- Civil society leadership award: Jayne Sadgrove at Citizens Cymru Wales.
Tess Lanning, director at the Living Wage Foundation, said: “Congratulations to all our Living Wage Champion Awards winners and all those shortlisted. There was an outstanding collection of organisations who applied this year, and we were staggered by the incredible work they’re doing to promote the living wage.
“Over 4,300 employers have now signed up to the living wage movement, and their leadership is making a profound difference to the lives of families and communities across the UK.”