Living Wage Week – Our Living Wage Stories

Established in 2011,  The Living Wage Foundation is a fast-growing, nationwide movement whose aim is to ensure everyone in the UK receives enough pay to live on. This is even more crucial now with the rising cost of living. This was set up to meet the needs of workers amidst rising prices - by developing a minimum wage based on the average price of a basket of household goods.

In 2001, the LWF began to build awareness of the problem, now in 2022 over 11,000 UK businesses are accredited - with over two billion extra pounds going into low-paid workers' pockets. The Living Wage foundation ensures that businesses pay their employees enough that meet their everyday needs - like the weekly shop or a surprise trip to the dentist. 

At Stroud Resourcing we joined the living wage movement in 2020. We are proud to be a living wage employer, and we’re always encouraging our clients and suppliers to do the same.

Read our stories below to see how how the living wage benefits our business and how this impacts our employees.  In their own words, each story represents a different area of how the living wage makes a difference to our team.

Alex Jenkins  joined Stroud Resourcing from the retail sector in 2022, he said:

“I found a career change quite nerve-racking at first, but working for a living wage employer has not only eased my anxieties about switching jobs but has increased my confidence in my career move, especially with the rising cost of living.”

Recruitment Consultant Dan Karunaratne joined us this year, after working in the NHS, he said the living wage gave his family more security: 

“Working for a living wage employer allows me to juggle work and prioritize family life without losing out financially, allowing me to achieve an effective work-life balance.”

Megan Venters graduated from her MA course in October 2022 and joined Stroud Resourcing as a Recruitment Consultant on our graduate scheme.: 

“After just graduating from university, working for a living wage employer has made a huge difference to my finances, and it’s reassuring to know my pay will rise with inflation each year.”

Charlotte White, a Recruitment Consultant who has been with Stroud Resourcing for over four years told us:

“I love working for a living wage employer, this contributes to the positive company culture and makes me feel appreciated coming into the office every day. It’s really reassuring to know that our wages will be protected from any inflation-based price rises over the next few years.”

Joanna Stroud, the company’s Managing Director, said that the impact on the business has gone beyond employee satisfaction:

“We launched our commitment to being a Real Living Wage employer in May 2019, this resulted in an immediate increase of £1,750 for our entry-level colleagues. We’re first to embrace increases as soon as they are announced and our workforce has really enjoyed the benefit of a pledge that drives fair pay.

“It was an empowering process signing up for this commitment, it prompted a thorough review of our pay and reward, and it made me question how we rewarded individuals and whether it was done fairly across the business. As a result, I removed personal and company bonuses that were ambiguous or discretionary and looked to identify and rectify any other pay equalities that existed. This prompted the introduction of pay transparency for our sales team which we believe has contributed to greater diversity. In 2022 wage inequality is still a major issue so offering a fair compensation model is important.

“I am immensely proud to be a Real Living Wage Foundation member. Moreover, I’m grateful that this commitment created a ripple effect of improvements to our pay and reward strategy.”

It’s not just us either. 64% of businesses say Living Wage accreditation has helped differentiate themselves from others in the industry and 93% of businesses have said that paying the Living Wage has benefited their business!

Click here to find out how to become a Living Wage Employer

Want to work for a Living Wage Employer with a heap of great benefits? Click here to view our vacancies