Accredited Living Wage employers are certified by the Living Wage Foundation. They are employers which have made the commitment to not only ensure that their directly employed staff are paid at least the real Living Wage, but also that all staff employed by companies who work on contracts on behalf of the organisation are also paid at this level.

We have been working towards Living Wage Accreditation for some time. The real Living Wage is an independently calculated rate based on the cost of living and is paid voluntarily by employers. That rate is currently £12 per hour and it is calculated annually by The Resolution Foundation on an analysis of the wage that employees need to earn in order to afford the basket of goods required for a decent standard of living. This basket of goods includes housing, childcare, transport, and heating costs.

Our Chief Executive Valerie Davidson said:

“This accreditation is very important to us. Earning the real living wage makes a huge difference to workers. It is especially important that having this accreditation means it is not only applicable to SPT staff but also to our contractors which must also ensure their staff are paid at this level. 

“Anyone who is working should earn a fair wage that covers their everyday needs. No one working should be worried about paying bills, feeding their families, or heating their homes.  I am very proud to say SPT is a Living Wage Employer and that everyone who works in our organisation, either as an employee or as a contractor, earns a wage that enables them to have a decent standard of living.”

As a direct result of SPT actions our awarded contracts have uplifted the pay of more than 70 externally contracted staff during the implementation period leading up to Accreditation.

It is our hope that our continued commitment to this will contribute to the economic growth of the area that we serve and will help to ensure that our contracts are procured sustainably, and our staff employed through these have a better standard of living.