What is the real Living Wage?
The real Living Wage is a UK wage rate. It is different to and higher than the government minimum wage. The rates are calculated every year based on the best available evidence on living standards in the UK and London (where there is a different rate to reflect the higher cost of living). It applies to all workers over 18.
In the UK, there are nearly 9,000 accredited Living Wage employers. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 300,000 people.
2021/2022 rate
How often do rates change?
New rates are announced each year during Living Wage Week in November. Accredited employers must implement the new rates within six months.
What is the difference between a real Living Wage employer and a real Living Wage service provider?
The difference between being a real Living Wage employer and a real Living Wage service provider, is that employers will support their subcontractors to actually pay the real Living Wage. Service providers do not.
Why did Willmott Dixon become a real Living Wage employer?
Over the years, and still today, employees across the UK are subject to a lack of safety, discrimination and low pay. Paying the real Living Wage supports the ambitions in Now or Never, our 2030 sustainability strategy, where we have committed to support people into good careers.
What does becoming a real Living Wage employer mean for Willmott Dixon?
In 2020, we became a real Living Wage employer and were certified by the Living Wage Foundation. We voluntarily pay the rate to all directly employed Willmott Dixon people, excluding Apprentices and first- and second-year Management Trainees as they are still in training.
As a real Living Wage employer, we are also supporting our subcontractors to pay the real Living Wage to their employees.
How does this affect your supply chain?
We work with thousands of other businesses, of all sizes. Whilst we don’t want to put added pressure on the small businesses we work with, many of which are already aligned with our values, we needed to think about how we could help them come on this journey with us. As a real Living Wage employer, we are supporting our supply chain partners to become real Living Wage payers by 2023. This means that they will also pay the real Living Wage.
Does the real Living Wage apply to everyone working on our sites?
If we have labour for less than two hours a week and/or eight consecutive weeks, our supply chain partners won’t need to pay the real Living Wage. Any labour agency on our preferred supplier list, that has less than 12 months left on its contract, does not need to be renegotiated.
I work on a Willmott Dixon site, meet the criteria, but I don’t receive the real Living Wage. What should I do?
Please speak to your employer.