Celebrating Real Living Wage Week

Posted | 16 November 2022

This week is Real Living Wage Week and as an accredited Living Wage employer, we’re delighted to be celebrating the week and the importance of paying the Living Wage. 

Real Living Wage Week is the annual celebration of the Living Wage movement, and at One Manchester we’re proud of our commitment to supporting our colleagues and local communities by offering a wage that continues to meet the cost-of-living. 

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate that is voluntarily paid by over 11,500 UK businesses who believe their staff deserve a wage which meets every day needs – like the weekly shop and the cost of clothing and shoes. It remains the only wage rate calculated based on the living costs and, with the cost of living rising, earning a real Living Wage has never been more important.

Nic Kershaw, Chief Executive of One Manchester, said: “At One Manchester, we're proud to support our colleagues and local communities by being an accredited Living Wage employer. By paying the Living Wage, we offer our colleagues the security and long-term commitment to a wage that will continue to meet the cost of living, year after year.
 
“We know with the increasing cost of living, the real Living Wage is more important than ever. That’s why in September this year we made the decision to start paying all our Apprentices the Living Wage as well, to ensure they get paid fairly for a day's work.“

What our colleagues said

We asked some colleagues what getting paid the real Living Wage means for them. 

Savannah Elliot, Apprentice Bricklayer, said: “I started January this year as an Apprentice Bricklayer and I really enjoy working for One Manchester, everyone is friendly, and I've learnt lots of new skills. Being paid the real Living Wage is valuable to me because it helps me to provide for my son.”

Zak Sufi, Trainee Employment Advisor, said: “Getting paid the Living Wage makes a real difference because, coming from a minimum wage job, it makes such a positive impact on my daily life and shows how much some employers care about their employees. I think it’s very good that One Manchester offers the Living Wage because it gives me the motivation to work harder because I feel valued.”

You can find out more about the real Living Wage here: Living Wage Foundation | For the real cost of living

Interested in working with us? Visit our vacancies page to find out about current opportunities to join our team: Work For Us | One Manchester