Since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, life as we knew it has drastically changed. Many organisations furloughed staff and allowed people to work from home wherever possible. These precautions were put in place to support our country’s infrastructure and limit the amount of COVID-19 cases across the UK. However, during this time many people have had to continue working despite the threat of the Coronavirus. Amongst these key workers have been our cleaners, fighting the virus on a first-hand basis.
Unfortunately, out of these cleaners, many are paid the UK minimum or national wage. This means the wage they are receiving, for doing essential work, is not enough to allow them to live comfortably.
In this article we explore what the Real Living Wage is and how it can assist our key workers, including cleaners, in receiving fair and sustainable pay for the work they do.
What is the Living Wage?
The Real Living Wage is an agreed hourly wage voluntarily paid by nearly 6,000 UK organisations that reflects the real cost of living in the UK. It was established in 2003 by the Living Wage Foundation with the goal of creating sustainable ways of living for minimum wage employees across the country. The Real Living Wage is calculated every year and released in November.
This graph, found on the Living Wage Foundation website (https://www.livingwage.org.uk/), explains the UK wage rates:
As seen by the graph, the Real Living Wage is higher than both the minimum wage and the national living wage determined by the government. This is because the Real Living Wage is calculated each year on the true cost of living across the UK. It is also higher in London at £10.75. This is the London Living Wage and is higher as costs of living in London are greater than the rest of the country.
If you are currently working on minimum or the national UK wage The Living Wage Foundation has created a Living Wage calculator to demonstrate the difference the Real Living Wage would make to you. Check it out here. (https://www.durhamsu.com/living-wage)
Why would businesses want to pay the Real Living Wage?
Although it may seem that organisations would be against paying their staff above the national and minimum wage, 93% of living wage businesses have benefited since becoming accredited and paying their staff the Real Living Wage. So why is this?
According to the Living Wage Foundation, accredited businesses have reported the below:
86% say it has improved the reputation of the business.
75% say it has increased motivation and retention rates for employees
64% say it has helped differentiate themselves to other sin the industry
58% say it improved relations between managers and staff
These statistics clearly demonstrate that paying employees the Real Living Wage benefits your business. This ultimately comes down to the fact that by paying the Real living Wage or the London Living Wage, you can drastically improve the lives of your employees. An improved standard of life leads to happiness, productivity, and desire to work to the fullest potential.
Some businesses that already gained accreditation and pay their staff the Real Living Wage include:
- Accenture
- Aviva
- Burberry
- Everton Football Club
- KPMG
- Linklaters
- Nationwide
- Queen Mary, University of London
Why should cleaners be paid the Real Living Wage?
So, now that we understand what the Real Living Wage is, why should cleaners and other key workers receive it? Our cleaners and other key workers have continued working throughout one of the strangest and toughest times in the UK’s history. They unfortunately have not had the luxury of working from home in a safe and controlled environment.
When we are considering why we must pay our cleaners the Real Living Wage, we must take into consideration what the Real Living Wage is and why it was established. The Real Living Wage is the minimum wage that allows people across the UK to live comfortably and was established for companies to pay their staff a fair amount for the work they perform.
The key workers, including cleaners, perform essential tasks for all business, all of which allow that business to function as normal. Without the ability to function normally, businesses lose the ability to earn money. Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the essential tasks being performed by cleaners have become even more of a necessity. Without the work provided by cleaners, an organisation cannot ensure that their place of work is hygienic and COVID-19 free.
The work performed by our cleaners should be valued enough by organisations to justify paying them a fair wage, to allow them to comfortably live throughout the country. Organisations must take responsibility a practice fair business to improve the quality of life for all around the UK.
