Barratt Developments plc, the country's largest housebuilder, has today become accredited as a Living Wage Employer. Its Living Wage commitment will see everyone working for Barratt receive a minimum hourly wage of £9.30 in the UK or £10.75 in London. This commitment applies not only to its direct employees but also to its suppliers and subcontractors. Both rates are 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 raised £1 billion extra for lower paid workers.
One of the business priorities of Barratt is Investing in its People, which is why Barratt has been voluntarily paying the Living Wage to all of its employees for the past couple of years. Now though it is expanding the scheme to encompass both its suppliers and subcontractors.
Rob Tansey, group HR director at Barratt Developments, said:
"People are at the heart of our business. This is why it's so important that everyone, from Barratt employees through to our suppliers and subcontractors, receives a good amount of pay for their hard work. The housebuilding industry is currently facing a serious skills shortage so if we are to attract and retain the best people, we need to pay well. By becoming a real Living Wage employer it is helps us to do that."
Katherine Chapman, Director of the Living Wage Foundation said:
"We're delighted that Barratt Developments has joined the movement of nearly 6,000 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. Accredited 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."
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