Living Wage Tech Champions

This month, I helped launch the new Living Wage Tech Champions network group. The group consists of representatives from across the network of accredited Living Wage Employers in the tech industry, including like minded companies such as Moneysupermarket Group, Feefo, Netitude, Wagestream, Amiqus Resolution Ltd, TISCreport, Utopia Computers and Quotevine. I'm really pleased to be working with such a great team of people, driving change within our industry.

For those that don't know, the Living Wage campaign is an independent movement of businesses, organisations and people who believe that a hard days work deserves a fair days 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 actually have a parent in work.

Surely that's not right? However, unfortunately, the 'working poor' is a real problem in this country and I think it's down to those that can influence change, to do just that.

There are over 210 accredited Living Wage Employers in UK tech. However, the industry is lacking in large accredited employers (companies with 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.

In an ever-growing and diverse industry such as tech, which increasingly relies on the insecure gig economy for staff, low-pay can often be hidden. Three-quarters of catering assistants in the UK earn below the Living Wage, while the same is true for two-thirds of both cleaners and elementary admin staff, nearly a half of taxi drivers, and over a third of van drivers.

The Tech Champions network leads on from the great work of the Living Wage in Tech Leadership Group, which previously advised on the overall strategy and direction of the Foundation’s outreach in the tech industry. As Champions, we will now be flying the flag for the Living Wage across the industry, within our regions and professional networks.

Sam Hepher, Programme Manager (Living Wage Foundation):

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.

I’m really excited to be continuing the work with the Living Wage Foundation. I was involved from the start with the previous Living Wage in Tech Leaders group, so to be given the opportunity to Chair the Tech Champions network and drive change in an area that I feel passionate about is brilliant. Since Keyzo became an accredited Living Wage Employer in 2017, we’ve worked hard to become a more people centred business. Our accreditation was one of the first steps we took as part of a wider people strategy. In terms of the impact on the business, over the last eighteen months our absences have reduced by over 50%, staff turnover is down by 85%, recruitment costs have reduced by around 90% and staff morale has certainly improved.

Shane Spencer, Managing Director (Keyzo IT Solutions Ltd):

As business leaders, we need to recognise the impact that paying below the real living wage can have, not only on employees but also on their families and the communities in which they live, we need to take action. I hope others will take action as well. I’m immensely proud of our work to date and it was great to be recognised with an Industry Champion Award at the 2019 Living Wage Champion Awards.

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

To find out more about the real Living Wage, and how to become an accredited Living Wage Employer, visit www.livingwage.org.uk, or contact Sam Hepher, Programme Manager at the Living Wage Foundation, at [email protected].