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The move by SimplyFixIt means its 35 staff are guaranteed to earn £2,184 a year more than the minimum wage.
The firm believes it is the first tech and computer repair specialist in the UK to be accredited as a Living Wage employer. It now hopes tech giants like Apple and PC World will follow its example.
Scott Wilkinson, Business Development Manager at SimplyFixIt, said: “We’re extremely proud to be the first in our sector to be accredited and we hope that sets down a marker for others to follow.
“To be the first in your field always feels special. But to be a leader in such a vitally important area is particularly gratifying, knowing we are supporting our staff in a way that others might not be. When it comes to acting ethically there’s only one side to be on.
“Ideally we hope to see the tech big boys follow suit. If a company like ours, with eight shops and 35 staff, can do this, it would be heartening to see the likes of Apple, as one of the biggest companies on the planet, and PC World, as a high street name, also come out and publicly support the Living Wage.”
SimplyFixIt has just celebrated its 20th anniversary and the increased wage commitment aligns the firm with scottishlivingwage.org, an initiative launched in partnership by the Scottish Government and The Poverty Alliance.
It means staff at the stores will earn £1.05 more an hour than the UK Government’s national minimum wage.
Wilkinson added: “Staff are the backbone of any business. Since we pride ourselves on excellent service, it is essential our employees are happy and motivated to go above and beyond for our customers. Our people are the key to our success.
“We believe that everyone who works should be fairly paid, so this was a natural step to take. If our staff have a bit more in their pocket, that’s good for everyone.”
That is echoed by experts who believe that employers who pay the Living Wage are likely to see a host of benefits.
Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, commented: “Paying the Living Wage not only has benefits to the individual employees but also businesses and wider society.
“Evidence from other Living Wage employers shows that receiving the Living Wage allows their staff to enjoy a better quality of living, whether that means being able to set aside a few extra pounds every month to save for their future or being able to spend more time with friends and family.
“Businesses which pay the Living Wage have recorded lower levels of absenteeism, increased staff retention and productivity.”
To date more than 500 companies have been accredited with living wage status by the Scottish Living Wage Foundation – with SimplyFixIt becoming the first computer repair shop in the country to make this provision for all of its workers.
Back in 2014, Utopia Computers became the first computer manufacturer officially accredited as a Living Wage employer.
It was the first within Scotland to offer its staff members the Living Wage.
