Robson Laidler is accredited as a Living Wage Employer. The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the firm receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.90 in the UK, significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £9.50 per hour.
Robson Laidler has over 100 staff between its two offices in Jesmond, Newcastle and Chester le Street in County Durham. The North East is a region with nearly a fifth of all jobs (19.6%) paying less than the real Living Wage – around 189,000 jobs. Despite this, Robson Laidler has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.
The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 300,000 people and put over £1.6 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.
Graham Purvis, MD, Robson Laidler said: “Paying our people the real living wage has never been more important. Our dedicated staff are the backbone of our business, creating real connections with our clients to help them achieve their business and financial goals. We believe by paying the living wage this strengthens our relationships with our staff and our credibility as a responsible employer of choice.”
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Robson Laidler has joined the movement of almost 9,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.
“Robson Laidler joins thousands of small businesses, as well as household names such as Burberry, Barclays, Everton Football Club and many more. These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”
To find out more about Robson Laidler’s purpose driven business policy visit: www.robson-laidler.co.uk/b-corp/