A BORDERS charity has became an accredited Living Wage Employer.
The move by Home Basics, which has a branches in Hawick and Walkerburn, has been welcomed by the Poverty Alliance who deliver the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative in partnership with the Living Wage Foundation.
The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the charity, regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors and suppliers receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.25 - significantly higher than the national minimum wage of £6.70.
This wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually which is a voluntary rate for employers. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK.
Decisions about what to include in this standard are set by the public; it is a social consensus about what people need to make ends meet.
Home Basics covers most of the western Scottish Borders collecting donated furniture and working electrical goods for redistribution to people on means-tested benefits.
Business Manager for the charity, Dennis Fisher said: “We believe that paying at least the Living Wage to all staff is the right thing to do. Despite the challenges of operating as a charity; paying people fairly is at the core of our values, and the Living Wage accreditation offers formal recognition for this”.
Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said: “With two-thirds of children in poverty in Scotland living in a household where someone works, paying the Living Wage is more important than ever.
“Not only does paying the Living Wage ensure that everyone takes home a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, it has benefits to businesses too. These include increased productivity, increased staff retention and lower rates of absenteeism.”
Home Basics have also announced they expanding their team, and have recently employed two new drivers, who will benefit from the Living Wage rate.
For more information on the charity, visit: http://www.homebasics.org.uk/
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