LJMU becomes accredited Living Wage employer

LJMU has become the first University in the city and the largest employer in Liverpool to be accredited as a Living Wage employer.

The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at LJMU, both permanent employees and third-party contractors, receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.25 - significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.70 and the new minimum wage premium for over 25s of £7.20 per hour set to be introduced this April.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK. Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support, with public backing from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

Professor Philip Vickerman, Executive Director to the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and Enhanced from LJMU said: “This is a significant step for LJMU as becoming accredited as a Living Wage employer means that our staff have the opportunity to earn enough to provide for themselves and their families. 

“It is important for us as a large employer in the city to welcome the new hourly rate and encourage other organisations to do the same, especially in highlighting the benefits which include boosting staff morale, increasing productivity and job fulfilment and satisfying stakeholders that employees are always paid a fair wage. We’re delighted to be recognised as an employer which pays fair and to become a key player in the Living Wage movement.”

Living Wage Foundation Director, Katherine chapman said: “We are delighted to welcome LJMU to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer.

“The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.

“We have accredited over 2,300 leading employers, including LJMU, ranging from independent printers, bookshops and breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, IKEA and EDF.  Their employees deserve a wage they can live on and not just survive on. By voluntarily choosing to pay above the legal minimum rates, employers are demonstrating that they value their employees and are seeing significant benefits for their organisations as a result. Employers we work with have reported increases in productivity, reduced absenteeism and staff turnover alongside increased wellbeing and morale.”

The story received coverage in the Liverpool Echo and Professor Philip Vickerman gave an interview to Radio Merseyside 5:35 minutes in