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The Living Wage Foundation has launched the new Living Wage Tech Champions network.
The group consists of representatives from across the network of accredited Living Wage Employers in the tech industry, including household names like Moneysupermarket Group, fast-growing digital firms like Feefo, and PCR Awards winners Utopia,
The Living Wage campaign is an independent movement of businesses, organisations and people who believe a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Employers choose to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis as it provides an ethical benchmark for responsible pay. The current real Living Wage rates are £9.00 per hour in the UK and £10.55 per hour in London.
Around six million employees in the UK earn below the real Living Wage. That’s nearly a quarter of the country’s workforce and includes nearly a third of women working in the UK. As a result, two-thirds of children in poverty have a parent in work.
There are over 210 accredited Living Wage Employers in UK tech. However, the industry is lacking in large accredited employers (over 500 employees), with just seven currently signed up to the scheme. As an industry currently experiencing high levels of growth and investment (in 2018, UK digital tech investment reached £6.3 billion, more than any other European country), it’s hoped that more leading employers will become accredited with the Living Wage Foundation, ensuring their direct and contracted staff earn enough to get by.
These new Champions will now be flying the flag for the Living Wage across the industry and within their regions and networks.
Sam Hepher, Programme Manager and tech industry lead at the Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re very excited to be bringing together such an enthusiastic group of employers who understand the very real problem of in-work poverty. They’ll be setting an example to the rest of an industry where there is still a great deal of low pay.”
Therisa Thompson, HR Manager at Keyzo IT Solutions, and Chair of the Living Wage Tech Champions network said: “I’m really excited to be working with the Living Wage Foundation, chairing the Tech Champions network. As a group, we’re working to encourage more tech companies to become accredited as Living Wage Employers. Since our organisation became an accredited Living Wage Employer in 2017, we’ve become a more people-centred business. Our absences have reduced by over 50%, staff turnover is down by 85%, recruitment costs have reduced by around 90% and staff morale has improved.”
Craig Hume, MD at Utopia Computers, and commissioner for the Living Wage said: “I hope that this new initiative will help encourage others to join the movement, I would love to see a UK distributor invest in its people in this way, as well as some of our more notable vendors. Looking after everyone in your business by paying the Living Wage is not only proven to be beneficial to the bottom line, it’s simply the right thing to do. If anyone reading this has some questions I would encourage them to pick up the phone and give me a call.”
Living Wage Tech Champions:
- ● Amy Coombes, Finance Manager at Netitude
- ● Craig Hume, Managing Director at Utopia Computers
- ● Emma Lemon, Head of Design & Marketing at Quotevine
- ● Georgina Scott, Head of Marketing at Wagestream
- ● Jaya Chakrabati MBE, CEO at TISCreport
- ● Lily Howell, Marketing Assistant at Netitude
- ● Neil Fitzgerald, Head of Reward at Moneysupermarket Group
- ● Richie Stewart, Head of People at Amiqus Resolution Ltd
- ● Therisa Thompson, HR Manager at Keyzo IT Solutions Ltd (Chair)
- ● Vicky Gardner, HR Advisor at Feefo
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