We are pleased to announce that we have received accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation as a real Living Wage Employer.
Our Living Wage commitment was implemented on 1 August ensuring that everyone working at the University of York and our subsidiary companies receives the real Living Wage.
The real Living Wage is reviewed annually and increased as appropriate; it is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living; it provides a voluntary benchmark for employers who want to pay their staff a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011, the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 250,000 people and put over £1.3 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers. Our accreditation marks a long term commitment to our staff.
VC Charlie Jeffery said:
I'm very proud that we've taken this step. It's a real demonstration of our commitment to being a University for Public Good, and to supporting our community, so it's particularly timely that the accreditation has been granted just as we have launched our new strategy.
The VC also thanked everyone who has worked together - in particular, members of HR and the campus trades unions - to agree and implement the necessary changes. This involved a restructure of grades 1-4 which took place over the summer which affected over 900 of our staff; over 400 of those saw an immediate increase in their salary while others, who were already earning over the rLW, have seen their earning potential (ie the top of their scale) increase.
Katherine Chapman, Living Wage Foundation Director, said:
We all need a wage that meets our everyday needs, even more so when living costs have been rising so sharply. That's why I'm delighted to welcome the University of York as our newest Living Wage Employer, joining a movement of almost 9,000 businesses, including household names such as Oxfam, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Aviva, and many more who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
As we begin to lay the foundations of a better society, it is important that we do not forget the people who have been instrumental to the survival of our businesses and our society: our workers. The Living Wage movement recognises that our workers ought to have a decent wage to support themselves and their families, and that paying this wage is the right thing to do.