Crystal Palace Football Club has today officially announced it is an accredited Living Wage Employer. It's Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the Club receive a minimum hourly wage of our new London Living Wage rate of £10.75. The rate is significantly higher than the government minimum for over 25s, which currently stands at £8.21 per hour.
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 200,000 people and put over £1Billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.
All the Club's full-time staff have been paid the London Living Wage for some time, and from the start of this season, all part-time staff employed directly by the club were paid the London Living Wage. In addition, all agencies who supply casual staff to the Club are now required to certify that they are also paying those staff members the London Living Wage.
Steve Parish, Crystal Palace chairman, said: "We recognise the contribution of all our full-time and matchday staff members, and fully support the campaign to pay all employees a wage that reflects the true cost of living in London."
Crystal Palace FC committed to pay the real Living Wage to all staff at the beginning of the 2019-20 season, regardless of whether they are direct employees or third-party contracted staff. An increase in the London Living Wage was announced in November 2019 at the start of Living Wage Week, which means everyone working at the club now receives a minimum hourly wage of £10.75.
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: "It's fantastic that Crystal Palace has joined Everton, Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool and become an accredited Living Wage employer. This commitment means that one quarter of Premier League clubs are now accredited and pay all staff - from cleaners to stewards - a wage that truly covers the cost of living. I congratulate Crystal Palace and hope more Premier League clubs to follow their lead this season."