Register to get free articles
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
Sussex-based jewellery retailer W.E Clark & Son has announced it has officially been accredited as a Living Wage employer.
The Living Wage commitment will see everyone working at the company – regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors – receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.25.
This is higher than the National Living Wage of £6.70 and the new minimum wage for over 25s of £7.20 per hour, which was introduced in April.
David Clark, managing director of the jewellery firm, said: “It was when I attended the Lewes Living Wage meeting in Lewes, as president of the Lewes Chamber of Commerce that our own Living Wage Accreditation occurred to me.
“I feel, that as an employer, I have a responsibility to ensure my employees receive a fair wage – one that they are able to live on.”
Katherine Chapman, director at the Living Wage Foundation, said the association is “delighted” to welcome W.E Clark & Son as an accredited employer.
She added: “The best employers are voluntarily signing up to pay the Living Wage now. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.”
The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently by the National Living Wage Foundation and updated annually. It is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the ‘Minimum Income Standard’ for the UK.
