United Welsh becomes an accredited Living Wage employer

United Welsh has been named as an accredited Living Wage employer.

Announced during the 2020 Living Wage Week, which is the annual celebration of the Living Wage movement in the UK, the Living Wage Foundation’s accreditation recognises United Welsh’s commitment to paying people fairly.

The Real Living Wage is independently-calculated each year and is based on the true cost of living for employees and their families.

Employers can choose to pay the Real Living Wage on a voluntary basis and United Welsh’s commitment means that everyone working for the organisation will receive it, regardless of whether they are direct employees or a contracted member of staff.

Lynda Sagona, Group Chief Executive of United Welsh said:

“We are delighted that United Welsh has been officially accredited as a Living Wage employer.

“For us, paying the Real Living Wage is simply the right thing to do. Our people are the most important part of the organisation and without them, we could not continue to achieve our ambitions of providing more quality homes and services that make a difference to people’s lives every day.

“United Welsh is proud to contribute to a movement which tackles poverty, inequality, and develops a more sustainable economy for communities across Wales.”

Living Wage Week 2020 was officially launched by the First Minister at an online event on Monday 9th November.

Through this accreditation, United Welsh has joined a movement of over 260 Welsh employers who choose to go beyond the legal minimum and ensure that all their staff receive a rate of pay that is based on the cost of living.

Bethan Harvey of Cynnal Cymru, the Living Wage Accrediting Body in Wales said:

“It was great to work with United Welsh on becoming a Living Wage Employer – they showed full commitment to both doing the right thing by ensuring anybody working for them earns enough to live on and also to the work involved at each stage of the accreditation process. I wish them every success on their Living Wage journey and look forward to working with them and other housing associations in the future.”