< Go Back The benefits of paying the real living wage to your cleaner Posted: Mar 16, 2017 The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 introduced a minimum wage to British business, it was set at £3.60 per hour from April 1999 and has risen steadily since then. In April 2016 the minimum living wage was introduced at £7.20 per hour which was a fifty pence rise in pay and with only six months to implement and cleaning contracts already agreed for longer terms, this increase presented challenges to the cleaning industry. Clearview however decided to embrace the ethos behind the rise and take the many positives that also came from it.
The Living Wage Foundation have championed a 'Living Wage' for all employees since 2001, and their calculation is based on what employees and their families need to live. Their rates apply to all workers over the age of 18, recognising that young people face the same costs as anyone else.
Paying a wage that is enough to live on is good for business, good for the individual and good for society.
By paying the real living wage employers voluntarily take a stand to allow their employees to earn enough money to live on. This fairness is what the real living wage is trying to achieve, but businesses have reported benefits beyond this. Clearview Cleaning Services, along with many other businesses have experienced reduced absenteeism, increased retention of staff and a higher quality of work from their cleaners that have been paid the higher rate.
Businesses have differing priorities and financial constraints but we offer clients the option to pay the cleaning operative either the National Living Wage or the Real Living Wage, which is currently £8.45 per hour. We have been both surprised and delighted at it's uptake and will continue to champion a fair wage for all employees.
http://www.livingwage.org.uk/