The Real Living Wage
Here at Quicksilver Moving and Storage, we believe in a fairer society. As inflation rises and National Insurance increases millions of families are feeling the squeeze. No one wants to see their family struggle, which is why we are proud to be paying our staff the real living wage. Hopefully, by bringing this to the public, we can push more companies to help their staff live the life they deserve by paying them a fair and worthwhile wage.
What is the Real Living Wage
At its heart, the real living wage is simple. A UK wage based on living costs, a wage that meets everyday needs, whether that is the weekly shop, a trip to the dentist, or the ability to go out for a meal. The real living wage depends on where you live, with those outside London experiencing a real living wage of £9.90ph compared to the government’s National Living Wage of £8.91. Inside London, the real living wage is £11.05. Whilst minimum wage (£8.36) covers people aged 21 and over and the real living wage covers people aged 23 and over, the real living wage covers everyone from the age 18 regardless of how many hours they work.
You may be asking why the Real Living Wage is higher for those in London than the rest of the country. Because it recognises the higher costs of living in London. There is of course more work to be done to make the real living wage inclusive, as there are obviously places in the country that are not far behind London in terms of costs, but the real living wage is making a difference for hundreds of thousands of people across the country.
However, the real living wage isn’t law, it is a completely voluntary wage, meaning that only those companies that have an invested interest in the lives and health of their clients are ready to step up and pay more. If you worry you aren’t being paid the living wage and want to find out, use the living wage calculator.
Why is Quicksilver Moving and Storage paying the real living wage?
A study from the Real Living Wage society found that 71% of parents earning below the real Living Wage worry so much it affects their day to day lives, while 35% always, or quite often, feel lonely. But when employers choose to take a stand by ensuring workers and their families earn the real Living Wage, it is shown to hugely improve the psychological wellbeing among employees.
Research shows the link between low pay and an increased risk of poor physical and mental health. A survey carried out by the Food Standards Agency in 2017 found that one in four low-income households struggles to eat regularly or healthily because of a lack of money.
It doesn’t take a huge leap to see that ill health will negatively impact the business. At Quicksilver Moving and Storage we are firm believers that the health of our employees directly correlates to the health of our business. Keeping our staff living properly increases production, means less days through ill health and leads to a happier working environment. All of this we can pass on to our customer base through professional, happy and expert services. This wouldn’t be possible, at least not to the level we believe our customers deserve, if we don’t pay our staff enough.
The country is moving into unprecedented times, as is the world as a whole. We don’t know what the future holds, but what we do know is that by contributing to the real living wage is one way to alleviate some of the problems that the country is facing. For more information about the real living wage or how to become accredited, please visit the real living wage site and if you are experiencing mental health issues then talk to someone. For all your moving and storage needs from London to Newcastle and everywhere in between, choose a company that cares about it’s employees. Choose Quicksilver Moving and Storage.
