Back at the start of the 2023 financial year, we made the decision to pay all our staff at least the Real Living Wage (RLW). This commitment means that everyone working at Jamescape receives a minimum hourly wage of £12, higher than the government minimum for over 21s, which currently stands at £11.44 per hour.
Jamescape is based in the North West, where 13.5% of all jobs pay less than the RLW - around 397,000 jobs. Despite this, Jamescape has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. Jamescape now proudly displays the RLW logo on our company website, our email signatures, and on our RLW plaque which lives in our office.
The RLW 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 460,000 people and put £3 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.
As most of our staff are current or recent students, becoming a RLW accredited employer gives us a competitive student wage compared to other part-time roles. Previously, our pay rate was comparable to most student jobs, many of which are lower skilled roles. Offering a competitive wage gave us a leg up in recruitment, making us stand out against other student job roles. Our pay rate matched that of a huge employer of students in the local area - the University of Liverpool. Furthermore, it helped to convey our company values as a socially conscious organisation.
James Barber, Chief Executive, said:
Over the last year of being a Real Living Wage employer, we’ve continued to grow our team, and being certified has helped us maintain a competitive edge when it comes to recruiting staff and also winning new clients. I’d say we’re proud to be a Real Living Wage employer, but while we’re proud to be flying the flag, this really is the bare minimum that we expect of all our suppliers, and we wholeheartedly encourage our wider network to join.
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said:
We’re delighted that Jamescape has joined the movement of over 14,000 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 Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Jamescape, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.
We encourage all businesses in our network to become an accredited RLW organisation, as an investment in your people. Jamescape prefers suppliers who are Real Living Wage employers and has committed to engage with businesses in our supply chain to encourage them to also pay the Real Living Wage. You can see Jamescape’s full list of preferences for suppliers on Our Suppliers page.