THE WISE GROUP CELEBRATES BECOMING THE 845th LIVING WAGE EMPLOYER

The Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative is pleased to announce that the Wise Group has today accredited as the 845th Living Wage employer.

Mr. Keith Brown, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work is visiting Dundee to celebrate the Wise Group becoming the 845th accredited Living Wage employer in Scotland and to highlight the importance of the Living Wage in the Scottish and local economies.

The Wise Group has been transforming lives through social enterprise since 1983. Supporting over 50,000 people a year we make a positive difference to people, communities and society by helping customers gain new skills and employment, reducing re-offending, regenerating communities and tackling fuel poverty. We have a clear understanding of the type of support our customers need and have a proven track record of providing both innovative and high quality services. The Wise Group delivers results by working closely with stakeholders and partners.

The Living Wage commitment confirms that all Wise Group staff receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.45. This rate is significantly higher than the statutory minimum wage for over 25s of £7.50 per hour introduced in April 2017.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. It is calculated according to the real costs of living.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Mr Keith Brown said:

“The Living Wage is set at £8.45 an hour, so it’s fitting that I’m here to celebrate the Wise Group becoming the 845th accredited Living Wage employer in Scotland. This proven investment in people leads to increased productivity and reduced staff absence, while sending a strong signal about fairness to your organisation’s stakeholders, and I applaud Wise for recognising it’s value.

“As well as setting a great example to other businesses, and in particular other social enterprise’s across Scotland, this achievement marks another positive milestone on our journey towards having 1,000 Living Wage accredited employers by autumn 2017.”

Laurie Russell, Chief Executive of the Wise Group said

‘The Wise Group culture focuses on ensuring that all our staff feel valued and recognised.  We have chosen to pay the living wage as an important part of our investment in our people.  I believe that other Scottish employers and their employees would also see wider benefits from adopting it’

Peter Kelly, Director of the Poverty Alliance said

‘The Poverty Alliance congratulates Wise Group for becoming our 845th accredited Living Wage employer in Scotland. There is a long way to go to address in-work poverty for the estimated 467,000 low-paid people in Scotland. Living Wage accreditation celebrates employers like Wise Group that choose to go further than the government minimum, signalling to staff, customers and other companies that Living Wage is part of their core values’.