Lincoln leaders kick off Living Wage Week with motivational video

As Living Wage Week kicks off in Lincoln and beyond, organisations and businesses across the city are encouraging employers to get on board with the initiative.

In order to demonstrate the benefits that living wage commitments can bring to businesses, employees and the local economy, the City of Lincoln Council has launched a video featuring employers.

Living Wage Campaign from City of Lincoln Council on Vimeo.

Lincoln Living Wage Forum, a partnership of organisations and businesses across the city commissioned the video to highlight the benefits of using this rate of pay.

The three-minute piece features Kelly Evans, Director of Social Change UK, Reverend Canon John Patrick, Subdean of Lincoln Cathedral; Councillor Ric Metcalfe, Leader of City of Lincoln Council and Angela Andrews, the city council’s Chief Executive, all giving their views on why it’s important to pay the living wage.

Kelly Evans said: “We believe in giving our staff fair pay for their work and the living wage is the best way for us to do that.

“Not only does this show we are an ethical employer, but as a business we’ve seen real benefits from paying staff this way, including greater productivity and our employees taking fewer days off sick.

“I would really encourage anyone who is considering paying the living wage to find out more.”

Reverend Canon John Patrick says in the video: “It’s a matter of fairness and making sure people are given a fair wage. It’s not a matter of luxuries, it’s about the necessities – the basics of life.”

Lincoln Living Wage Forum is currently running a free accreditation scheme that city employers can sign up to.

It works on a three-star rating:

• One star for paying the living wage
• Two stars for paying the living wage and using living wage suppliers, or paying the living wage and employing staff fairly
• Three stars for paying the living wage, using living wage suppliers and employing staff fairly

Councillor Ric Metcalfe said: “The city council made the decision in 2013 to pay all its staff the living wage as a minimum as we believe that not only is it ethically right to do so, but evidence has shown that it brings real benefits to the employer as well.”

Any organisation or business that joins the register, of which there are currently 19, will be sent a window sticker with their appropriate star rating.

For more information on how to become accredited, visit the Lincoln Against Poverty website here.

Earlier on he first day of Living Wage Week, a report was published revealing that at least 70,000 people in the county are earning below the living wage.

Lincoln faired relatively well on the scale, aligning with the national average rate of people signed up to the initiative – 23%.