The Crown Estate is delighted to announce that it has become the first national property business and landowner to accredit as a Living Wage employer.
The Living Wage commitment will ensure that everyone working for The Crown Estate, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or contractors, receives a minimum hourly wage of £9.15 per hour in London and £7.85 per hour outside of London, significantly above the national minimum wage of £6.50.
Alison Nimmo, Chief Executive, The Crown Estate, said:
A successful business is one that values its employees and we are very proud to have become the first national property business to become Living Wage accredited. We want to underline our commitment to our talented employees who work across a diverse range of sectors - from London's West End and regional retail through to offshore wind and strategic land - and work with our supply chain to encourage them to follow our lead.
Rhys Moore, director, Living Wage Foundation said:
We are very pleased to be able to welcome The Crown Estate to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. The size and scale of The Crown Estate will help extend the reach of the Living Wage, and we hope, encourage far more interest in the Living Wage from the property development and land management sector. At a time when over half of those in poverty are also in work, the Living Wage can make a real difference to hard working families, often being the difference between a trip to the food bank or a weekly shop. Accrediting as a Living Wage employer means that everyone in your work force, including sub contracted teams such as cleaning and catering staff, are paid at least the Living Wage. We believe work should be the surest way out of poverty and it is encouraging to see that some of the UK's most successful and leading business also recognise that work should pay. Over 1,300 businesses are Living Wage employers, who reward a hard day's work with a fair day's pay.
The Crown Estate is an independent commercial property business, created by an Act of Parliament. Across its diverse portfolio, The Crown Estate's approach remains consistent; driving sustainable returns and growth through an active approach to asset management and long term investment in four key sectors; Central London's West End, prime regional retail, rural land and offshore wind.