Ideal Manufacturing Ltd has been accredited as a Living Wage Employer meaning that everyone working there receives a minimum hourly wage of £9.50 in the UK or £10.85 in London – the rates just increased this week to coincide with it being National Living Wage week

Both rates are significantly higher than the government minimum for over 25s, which currently stands at £8.72 per hour.

The real Living Wage is the only rate calculated according to the costs of living. It provides a voluntary benchmark for employers that wish to ensure their staff earn a wage they can live on, not just the government minimum. Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to over 230,000 people and put over £1 billion extra into the pockets of low paid workers.

“We’ve got quite a few accreditations that we’re proud of, but this one is really meaningful to us. During such a difficult year for so many people, we felt that it was an important way to acknowledge the hard work and support that everyone at Ideal has shown. More than ever, we want to return that respect and make Ideal a responsible and thoughtful company where we can all be proud to work.” Phillip Kalli

Katherine Chapman, director at Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that Ideal has joined the movement of over 6,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“These businesses recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like Ideal, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”

To find out more about the Living Wage and how to become a Living Wage employer like Ideal, visit www.livingwage.org.uk/. Follow events and updates during Living Wage Week on Twitter @LivingWageUK #livingwageweek