Hopwood Hall College has become one of a handful of organisations in the borough of Rochdale to guarantee a living wage to all its employees.
The college joins other lcoal organisations such as Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Rochdale Online and E.R. Williams in gaining accreditation from The Living Wage Foundation.
Hopwood Hall’s Living Wage commitment will see everyone employed at the college receive a minimum hourly wage of £8.75.
This rate of pay is significantly higher than the government’s statutory minimum for over 25s of £7.50 per hour, introduced in April 2017.
Caroline Street, Executive Director at Hopwood Hall College, was a driving force behind the college paying the Living Wage.
She said: “Hopwood Hall College is very proud to have joined the Living Wage movement.
“The College recognises that this is the rate of pay required for our employees to meet the cost of living and not have to work in additional jobs to make ends meet.
“The pay rise is in line with our values and gives our employees an opportunity to achieve a healthy work/life balance and be part of our ‘Thriving Community’.
“We value all of our employees and this accreditation has directly benefited 46 colleagues in roles including; Cleaners, Gym instructors, Catering Assistants and Facilities Assistants and has removed the lowest points of our pay scale.”
Employers are not forced to pay the real Living Wage, they choose to do so on a voluntary basis.
Katherine Chapman, Director at the Living Wage Foundation said of the Hopwood Hall’s new commitment: “We welcome Hopwood Hall College to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer.
“Responsible businesses across the UK are voluntarily signing up to pay the real Living Wage now.
“We are a movement of over 3,700 UK employers who together want to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on. “Along with Hopwood Hall College, accredited businesses like IKEA, Aviva, Chelsea and Everton Football Clubs, recognise the Living Wage accreditation is the mark of a responsible employer and believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”