Erudus Celebrates Commitment to Real Living Wage

Erudus is now based in the North East, a region with nearly a quarter of all jobs (23%) paying less than the real Living Wage – around 222,000 jobs. Despite this, Erudus has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 160,000 people and put over £800m extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

Jon Shayler, Chief Operating Office, Erudus said:

Becoming a Living Wage accredited employer was an easy decision for us to make, it strengthens our commitment to being a responsible employer, helps us better employee health and wellbeing and gives us an edge in the employment market.

Tess Lanning, Director, Living Wage Foundation said:

“We’re delighted that Erudus has joined the movement of over 4,700 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

They join thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as IKEA, Heathrow Airport, Barclays, Chelsea and Everton Football Clubs and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Erudus, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.

Why pay a living wage?

Since the inception of the living wage in 2001, tens of thousands of families have benefited from having individuals earning beyond the minimum wage and being paid a wage they can comfortably live on. Erudus is now part of the 5,000+ employers who have joined this voluntary campaign to support giving its employees a fair wage for the work they do.

Simon Evans, Wholesale Onboarding Specialist, Erudus said:

Employee health and wellbeing is so important, having financial security goes a long way in aiding the overall health and wellbeing of an employee. The living wage implementation is a benefit to both the employer and the employee, which is why I think it’s great we’ve become an accredited living wage employer.

Becoming a living wage employer is a crucial part of promoting better employee health and wellbeing. In a study undertaken by the Living Wage Foundation, they concluded 71% of UK working parents said that the worry of having a low income affected their day to day lives and in the same study 84% of these parents said earning an amount which is enough for them to live on would improve their overall happiness.

In addition to this, it has become apparent that productivity in the workplace can also be linked to happiness with studies suggesting that individuals are between 7 and 12% more productive when they are happier.