4th Apr 2024 - Written by Brunelcare
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We are delighted to announce that we are retaining our status as a Living Wage Employer for the third year in a row, increasing wages for all 1,100 of our dedicated colleagues.
We officially became a Living Wage Employer in April 2022, with all colleagues being paid at, or above, the real Living Wage. As of 1st April 2024, all Brunelcare colleagues will be paid a minimum of £12.00 per hour regardless of their age, representing an increase to our minimum rate of pay of over 10% for the second year in a row. The Government’s national living wage currently stands at £11.44 per hour (£8.60 for employees under the age of 21).
This means our lowest-paid colleagues have received a 46.16% increase since March 2020.
Set by the Living Wage Foundation, the real Living Wage has been independently calculated according to the actual cost of living. By continuing to pay the real Living Wage, we want to lead by example to demonstrate to other employers the benefits of paying colleagues a wage that allows them to afford to meet their everyday needs.
In the South West, almost a fifth of all jobs (18.1%) pay less than the real Living Wage – around 424,000 jobs. We are committed to paying the Real Living Wage to deliver a fair rate of pay for the hard work and commitment our teams deliver in supporting vulnerable people in a range of care settings every day.
Becky Smith, Care & Support Worker at Colliers Gardens, said: “I come to work every day because I genuinely love what I do. It’s fantastic to feel appreciated in your line of work, and the pay increase to the real Living Wage makes a real difference. With the cost of living forever increasing, this is going to make a huge difference!”
Oona Goldsworthy, Chief Executive at Brunelcare, said: “In 2022, Brunelcare achieved accreditation as a Living Wage Employer. This meant that no colleague at Brunelcare would be paid less than the real Living Wage. Our team has been doing such an integral job, particularly during the years leading from the pandemic, and their pay rates should reflect the vital work they continue to do. I am thrilled to announce that for the third year running, we are a Living Wage Employer.”
Find out more about the real Living Wage at https://www.livingwage.org.uk/what-real-living-wage