Apetito to adopt living wage for all employees by 2016

30 July 2015 by
Apetito to adopt living wage for all employees by 2016

Apetito, the frozen meal provider for the health and social care sector, has announced its commitment to pay 100% of its employees the living wage or higher from early 2016.

The company has confirmed that 82% of its workforce is already earning the living wage or above.

Paul Freeston, chief executive of Apetito, said: "Our mission at Apetito is to make a real difference, and that means embedding principles that support our customers, our supply chain, and crucially, our workforce.

"Supporting the living wage is quite simply the right thing to do; it improves our employees' quality of life, but also benefits our business and society as a whole.

"Indeed, our profit-share scheme, which all staff participate in, means that we are effectively paying staff a wage over and above the living wage right now, a fact of which I am very proud."

Apetito is also working towards obtaining accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation, which recognises living wage employers across the UK.
The living wage is a voluntary higher rate of base pay which provides a benchmark for employers who chose to pay more than the National Minimum Wage.

It is promoted by the Living Wage Foundation and is based on an amount an individual needs to earn to cover the basic costs of living.

According to the Living Wage Foundation, the UK hourly living wage rate is £7.85, and the London rate is £9.15 per hour. Currently the hourly rate for the National Minimum Wage is £6.50.

One of biggest surprises in the chancellor George Osborne's budget on 8 July was the announcement of a National Living Wage, which is to be introduced in April next year.

The compulsory National Living Wage will require employers to pay working people over the age of 25 at least £7.20 an hour, rising to £9 an hour by 2020.

It could mean a pay rise for millions of people, but many hospitality employers have raised fears about the impact on the sector.

To get involved with the discussion about the Living Wage, visit our dedicated group >>

National Living Wage: how to meet your obligations >>

‘Stop whinging' about the National Living Wage >>

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