The Living Wage: Looking To The Future.

As we come to the end of Living Wage Week 2016, it's humbling to reflect on how far the Living Wage Foundation has come over the past five years.

There are now nearly 3,000 employers across the UK who proudly display the Living wage employer mark - that's a thousand more than last Living Wage Week. This includes nearly a third of the FTSE 100 and huge new brands like; IKEA, EDF Energy, Majestic Wine, Lloyds TSB, the British Library and Everton Football Club.

Fifteen years since the Living Wage campaign was launched by London Citizens we know that over 120,000 people have been able to earn a wage they can live on as a result of our movement.

There is growing evidence of the business benefits associated with paying the Living Wage such as improved morale and productivity and reduced turnover and absenteeism.

But first and foremost, Living Wage employers tell us that they choose to pay the real Living Wage because they want to do the right thing by their staff.

Living Wage employers know the real impact that paying the real Living Wage has on people's lives. By investing in their workforce they are demonstrating a commitment to the wellbeing of their staff. Click here to watch Lynne's story about what a difference a real Living Wage makes to her and her family.

And the need for a real Living Wage - a wage that meets the cost of living - has never been stronger. Over 1 in 5 of the workforce are struggling to make ends meet. With inflation figures now expected to spike, there will be even more pressure on the cost of living in the years to come - the job is far from done.

Over the next five years we want to reach at least another 3,000 employers - and below are five areas of focus for the future:

  1. We Buy Living Wage - We know that people want to buy from employers that pay the Living Wage.  This year we will be launching our 'We buy Living Wage' consumer campaign. We want to see the Living Wage logo on every high street so that people can make a real Living Wage choice at the checkout.  

  2. Using the power of supply chains - Many of our leading Living Wage employers are already spreading awareness of the benefits of adopting the Living Wage through their supply chains and procurement networks, beyond just their onsite contractors. We encourage Living Wage employers to think about how they can promote the Living Wage more widely and celebrate suppliers and partners that become accredited. 

  3. Building new partnerships across the UK  - Scotland has seen the fastest growth in Living Wage employers this year thanks to the commitment of the Scottish Government and our accreditation partners Poverty Alliance. This year we will be working with new partners Cynnal Cymru to grow the Living Wage in Wales. The Mayoral elections across England next year also provide an opportunity for leadership on the Living Wage in City Regions. 

  4. Celebrating Living Wage jobs - Building on the 'Good Jobs Toolkit'  there is a wealth of knowledge and best practice in our network about how to introduce the Living Wage in a way that maximises benefits to employees and the business. Living Wage employers are at the forefront of good employment practices that help reduce in-work poverty. We want to find new ways to showcase and celebrate their leadership through case studies, events and awards.

  5. Going global - There is growing interest in the work of the Living Wage Foundation internationally. We want to work with international Living Wage employers and civil society partners to help build a global Living Wage movement.

None of this is possible without the dedication and leadership of Living Wage employers and supporters across the UK.

So on behalf of everyone at the Living Wage Foundation, we want to say a huge thank you.

We hope you had a fantastic Living Wage Week and we look forward to working with you over the next year!